If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with bronchiectasis, you’ll know all too well just how challenging this chronic lung condition can be.
What is Bronchiectasis?
Bronchiectasis causes the airways to become abnormally widened and scarred over time, leading to an excessive build-up of thick, sticky mucus that makes breathing freely a constant battle. It is sometimes of idiopathic origin, meaning there is no clear connection between cause and disease. However some disorders such as autoimmune disease and other conditions affecting the immune system, COPD and Pneumonia can also cause Bronchiectasis. It is often most common in women. However, while bronchiectasis may sometimes leave you feeling winded, physiotherapy offers a way to regain control and improve your overall quality of life.
How is Bronchiectasis diagnosed?
At its core, physiotherapists treat people with this disease with specialised techniques and therapeutic exercises to facilitate better breathing, loosen stubborn mucus, and strengthen the muscles needed for effective coughing and clearing of the airways. Here’s a closer look at some of the critical interventions physiotherapy can provide:
A high-resolution CT (HRCT) can confirm the disease. This is often done after blood and phlegm sample tests, lung function tests and bronchoscopy.
How does Physiotherapy help?
Airway Clearance Techniques
One of the primary goals of physiotherapy for bronchiectasis is routinely clearing out the thick mucus that so easily accumulates in the lungs. Specialised airway clearance techniques like Active Cycle of Breathing, Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) therapy, and hands-on chest percussion can dramatically improve the ability to expectorate stubborn secretions, making breathing easier.
Exercise for Fitness and Strength
In close consultation with your physiotherapist, you’ll develop a personalised exercise programme tailored to your needs and abilities. Low-impact aerobic exercises like walking or stationary cycling can help build cardiovascular fitness and lung capacity. Resistance training with light weights or bands will fortify the muscles for forceful coughing and clearing.
Breathing Retraining
Physiotherapists are experts at teaching proper breathing strategies to help you maximise ventilation and make the most efficient use of your lung capacity.
Postural Drainage Positions
Positioning gravity-assisted drainage can help dislodge and clear stubborn mucus from different segments of the lungs. Your physiotherapist will guide you through the ideal positioning and techniques to target specific areas most effectively.
Managing Breathlessness
Of course, one of the most debilitating and discouraging aspects of bronchiectasis can be a constant struggle with breathlessness. However, physiotherapists can teach valuable breathing control techniques to help you cope with and reduce sensations of shortness of breath. Pursed lip breathing, breath stacking exercises, and other respiration management methods can provide relief. Self-management is important to be able to carry out daily routines that will maintain effective chest clearance. Therefore, patient education is very important, as is supervised practice with the Physiotherapist, until confidence with technique can be achieved. The Physiotherapist can also assist with getting maximal use out of inhaler, by helping perfect the inhaler technique, with or without use of a spacer. Use of nebulised saline, if this has been prescribed by your GP or respiratory consultant, can also be taught. This is a small amount of saline solution, provided through a compressor via a facemask and can be helpful with assisting clearance of thicky sputum.
Building Activity Tolerance
Struggling with breathlessness can make daily activities increasingly difficult for those with bronchiectasis. However, Physiotherapists can develop a graded exercise programme tailored to your abilities to help steadily build up your stamina and endurance for activities of daily living. The aim is to help you regain more independence and improve your overall quality of life.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of physiotherapy for bronchiectasis, reach out to our team at Home Physio Group today on 0330 335 1016 or please use the contact sheet and we will get in touch with you.