You may have been referred to physiotherapy by one of our respiratory specialists here at New Victoria Hospital for management of your breathing condition.
Respiratory Physiotherapy in these cases has many uses, including helping with ineffective cough and clearance of mucus, breathlessness, and poor lung volumes. There also a number of respiratory devices that can help with the management of these conditions.
What Should I Expect in My First Appointment?
An initial assessment for respiratory complaints/conditions will usually last up to one hour. On arrival, you will be asked to complete a few forms giving consent for respiratory physiotherapy treatment, and to confirm your details.
The initial assessment will involve taking full and comprehensive history, gaining as much information as possible regarding your condition, and the affects it has on day to day activities. We will also enquire about medical history and current medications, so should you have a list available, please bring this with you on your first appointment.
Following, the physiotherapist will proceed to a full examination. This will include:
- Observations of posture, breathing pattern and behaviour
- Auscultation
- Assessment of exercise tolerance
What Will Respiratory Physiotherapy Involve?
Once a clear problem list has been established, the physiotherapist will explain in depth how your condition can cause these, and the ways in which they can be effectively managed.
The physiotherapist will practice different techniques on how to optimise the clearance of mucus through positioning and breathing techniques such as the active cycle of breathing. Should breathlessness or reduced lung volumes be of concern, the physiotherapist can also teach ways to manage and improve this.
Your consultant or physiotherapist may feel a device such as an Acapella or Incentive Spirometer, may benefit the management of your condition. We have these available for purchase, and can practice this with you in the session.
Follow up appointments routinely last 30 minutes, but more time can be assigned should yourself and the physiotherapist feel this is required.
What Will I Need to Bring to Respiratory Physiotherapy?
When assessing and treating your condition, it is necessary to expose the relevant areas in order to be as accurate as possible. During auscultation, you may be asked to remove your t-shirt/shirt. If you have a preference for a male or female physiotherapist, please mention this at the time of booking.
If you have any correspondence or investigations available, please bring these with you as they can be useful to the physiotherapist when determining your diagnosis and treatment. Similarly if you have a list of medications, and any inhalers, it may be useful to bring these also.
Examples of Respiratory Conditions Treated
- Bronchiectasis
- Asthma
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD)
- Bronchitis
There are a lot of respiratory conditions, and our physiotherapists are well equipped with them all. Should we feel your condition requires further investigation or treatment, we are lucky enough to have specialist consultants nearby as part of New Victoria Hospital.
If you would like to have more information regarding Respiratory Physiotherapy, you can call our Physiotherapy Department on 020 8949 9040 or:
