CARDIO-RESPIRATORY PHYSIOTHERAPIST
You’re probably going to be hearing a lot about cardio-respiratory physiotherapy in the next few months! As people are recovering from COVID-19, cardio-respiratory physiotherapists will be of the utmost importance. This discipline of physiotherapy is one that specialises in the prevention, rehabilitation, and compensation of clients with diseases and injuries in the heart and lungs.
You should also see a cardio-respiratory physiotherapist if you have: acute problems like asthma, acute chest infections and trauma. Also, if you are preparing and recovering from major surgery. They can also treat a wide range of chronic cardiac and respiratory conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis (CF) and post-myocardial infarction (MI).
Physiotherapy is essential for treating cardiopulmonary conditions
Cardiopulmonary physiotherapy is an area of physiotherapy that specializes in the prevention, rehabilitation, and restoration of patients with diseases of lungs and heart. It involves exercise prescriptions, breathing facilitation exercises, percussions and vibrations, coughing, mobility assistance, and individually tailored exercises. The cardiopulmonary physical therapist helps patients to overcome physical and functional impairment, activity limitations, and participation restrictions due to the impairments of structures and functions of the cardiovascular and pulmonary system. In ICU, ICU, indoor and outdoor patient department, home care, clinics and rehabilitation, the physical therapist helps to improve ventilation, facilitate removal of secretions, and improve management of shortness of breath for better function. In outpatients and rehabilitation clinics, individualized education related to the patient’s condition, how to respond in case of increased symptoms, and graded exercise training in form of endurance, resistance, and respiratory muscle training is provided to maximize the patient’s functional level.
Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation is a program that helps improve the well-being of people with heart and breathing problems. It includes exercise, disease management training, and nutritional and psychological counseling.
Building back strength and balance in the body is very important tool.Major trauma to the heart can have an effect on other muscles in the body, such as those in the arms, face, and legs. Working with a Physiotherapist on muscle strength can help increase the body’s ability to move and stabilize. Physiotherapists can also help patients rebalance and rehabilitate with techniques such as side-to-side head rotations and stretching of the neck.The most important part of Physiotherapy and Cardiovascular Rehabilitation is getting the heart pumping.