It’s important to take an assessment of your overall health. Regular checkups and monitoring for symptoms are crucial in spotting any early issues that could create trouble down the line. Respiratory health is of the utmost importance, as strong lungs are at the heart of greater well-being. However, when problems do arise, it’s important to have the right medical outlets for solutions. One option could be physical therapy to rebuild lung strength after illness or damage.
Diaphragmatic Breathing
When looking for a physical therapy clinic, you want to make sure you are working with professionals who can best accommodate your circumstances. PT treatments can address a range of pulmonary issues, from chronic bronchitis to lung cancer. One of the more common workouts in these treatments is what’s called diaphragmatic breathing. This is a form of intentional, deep breathing that restores lung function using the diaphragm. Breathing through the nose strengthens the diaphragm and encourages the nervous system to relax and restore.
Breathing exercises on your back help build lung strength back up for any medical condition, starting with lying on the back and bending your knees so that the bottoms of your feet are resting on the bed or flood. Breathing through the nose and pulling air down into the stomach while slowly exhaling helps to regulate breathing patterns. These exercises help to alleviate shortness of breath over time, building lungs back after medical conditions dealing with airway problems. It’s important to repeat these exercises as recommended by your physical therapist.
Increasing Activity Level
In recovering from lung disease, some physical therapists will recommend a steady increase in physical activity to get blood flow through the circulatory system. This in turn helps to boost oxygen rates within the respiratory system. Brisk walks or riding a bike works as a lung exercise, and a PT will also recommend it as part of therapy to boost mental health as well. Experts have found that increases in daily activity by as little as 30 minutes a day can result in a marked increase in lung capacity. This makes for a better quality of life for patients dealing with a variety of medical conditions.
Pulmonary rehabilitation is achieved through exercise with less shortness of breath. These rehabilitation services offer knowledge that seeks to help patients recovering from mesothelioma, blood clots, or even lung cancer better manage their chronic lung disease. You’ll become stronger by increasing your level of fitness and creating a regular exercise regimen that will keep all parts of the body running at their best. Pulmonary rehabilitation may even decrease the need for hospital visits and make for a better way of life for you and your loved ones.
Pursed-Lip Breathing
Another exercise that physical therapists may recommend is what’s called pursed-lip breathing. This method has increased in popularity in helping people overcome difficulty breathing and lung damage brought on by COVID-19. The novel coronavirus prevents air from circulating normally through the lungs, making patients feel like they are constantly short of breath. The symptoms are even more significant for older people and those with preexisting medical conditions.
Practicing pursed-lip breathing simply involves inhaling slowly through the nose and then exhaling through pursed lips. You want to exhale for twice as long as you inhale, so if you inhale for five seconds, be sure to exhale for 10 seconds. This has also been used to treat other respiratory illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia that can have lingering effects on breathing and lung health. The truth is that if your health problems are impacting your breathing, be sure to work with your medical care team and consider the services of a physical therapist to make your pulmonary health strong again.
