Respiratory physiotherapy
This physiotherapy specialty is dedicated to the prevention, treatment and stabilisation of respiratory dysfunctions or alterations, with the general aim of improving pulmonary ventilation, gas exchange, respiratory muscle function and exercise tolerance. The focusses of this therapy are breathing re-education and reconditioning.
Respiratory physiotherapy effectively treats chronic conditions (COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis and neuromuscular diseases), acute processes (pneumonia, lung abscess) or surgical interventions (transplants and others). The treatment within this specialty is mainly bronchial decongestion, using manual techniques to eliminate excess secretions, and special therapeutic exercise protocols for daily activities.