lung and airway disorders
Chest Physical Therapy
Breathing exercises
Breathing exercises help to encourage deep breaths so as to limit or reverse Atelectasis (collapse of the alveoli, or tiny air sacs), but they do not directly improve lung function. Still, breathing exercises decrease the likelihood of lung complications after surgery in heavy smokers and other people with lung disease. Such exercises are particularly helpful for sedentary people who have Often, these exercises involve using an instrument called an incentive spirometer. A person breathes in as deeply as possible through a tube that is attached to a hand-held plastic chamber. The chamber houses a ball, and each breath lifts the ball. Ideally, this maneuver is done 5 to 10 consecutive times each hour while the person is awake. This device is used routinely in hospitals before and after surgery. However, deep breathing exercises encouraged by nurses and respiratory therapists may be more effective than self-directed breathing exercises using an incentive spirometer. is a type of breathing pattern that may be helpful when people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overinflate their lungs during attacks of airway narrowing, panic, or exercise. It also can function as an additional breathing exercise for people undergoing Pulmonary Rehabilitation . People are taught—or often discover by themselves—to exhale against partially closed (pursed) lips, as if preparing to whistle. This measure increases pressure in the airways and helps prevent them from collapsing. The exercise causes no ill effects, and some people adopt the habit without instruction. People may also benefit from bending forward while doing pursed-lip breathing. In this position, the person stands with the arms and hands outstretched and supports the body on a table or similar structure. 