When your breathing pattern isn’t right it can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. Whether it’s linked to a medical condition like asthma or COPD, a recent infection, or anxiety, dysfunctional breathing patterns can significantly impact your daily life. This is where a respiratory physiotherapist can make all the difference. We specialise in understanding how you breathe, why you’re breathing that way, and helping you make the most of your individual situation by guiding you to breathe better and get more out of life.
If you’ve been told seeing a respiratory physiotherapist might be a good idea, or you’ve been referred to us for treatment, you may have a whole host of questions:
What is respiratory physiotherapy?
What will they do?
What happens during an appointment?
What should I bring or ask?
Let’s take a closer look and answer all of the above!
Why see a respiratory physiotherapist for your breathing pattern issue?
Respiratory physiotherapists are highly qualified physiotherapists who have specialised in the respiratory (breathing) system. They typically treat people with underlying lung conditions, those who have had lung surgery, and/or those with breathing problems.
Breathing issues sometimes may not be as straightforward as they seem. Many people develop inefficient breathing patterns without realising it. These patterns can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, chest tightness and even panic attacks. Often these symptoms can be interpreted by the person experiencing them as something more sinister, such as a heart attack or lung cancer. A respiratory physiotherapist is trained, alongside medical professionals, to identify what’s going wrong and get you on the path to recovery.
For patients with breathing pattern issues, respiratory physios don’t just focus on treating the symptoms. Instead, they dig deeper to figure out what’s triggering your breathing difficulties and why they started in the first place. It could be related to a medical condition, musculoskeletal imbalance, weak respiratory muscles or even how you manage stress. Their goal is to help you breathe more efficiently, which can reduce your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.
What to expect at an appointment
Walking into your first session may feel a bit daunting, but it begins with a conversation and some simple tests. The physiotherapist will start by asking about your symptoms. When do they happen? What seems to make them worse or better? If you’ve already had any tests, like lung function tests or X-rays, bring those along with you—they’ll want to take a look.
After that, they’ll watch how you breathe. You might sit, lie down or stand as they observe the movement of your chest, ribs and diaphragm. This can feel a little strange, but it’s important to see how you breathe when you’re calm as it tells them a lot about how your body works during more stressful situations.
Next, they might ask you to do some basic exercises or movements to see how your breathing responds. This could include walking around the room, up the stairs, or running on the treadmill. It’s all about understanding how your breathing behaves and developing a treatment plan to resolve it.
Before you leave, the physiotherapist will introduce you to some breathing exercises. These are specific techniques designed to retrain your breathing muscles and the control of your breathing in your brain. They’ll also give you a plan to practice at home so that you can ensure you make consistent progress.
How to prepare
Wear comfortable clothing that won’t restrict your movement. Bring along any relevant medical documents or test results, plus a list of your medications. If your symptoms come and go, think about writing down when they happen, how they feel and what you were doing at the time. This can be helpful for your physiotherapist.
Questions to ask during your appointment
Here are a few questions you might want to ask:
- What’s causing my breathing issues?
- Will it need long-term management?
- How often should I do the exercises you’re giving me?
- What should I do if my symptoms flare up?
- How soon might I expect to see some improvement?
If something doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification. Our team is here to help if you’re feeling unsure.
What happens next?
After your first appointment, you’ll usually have a follow-up scheduled within a week or two. This gives you time to try the exercises and for the physiotherapist to see how you’re responding. If things are improving, they will tweak your plan to progress things, or add new exercises. If not, they’ll reevaluate and adjust the approach.
Working with a respiratory physiotherapist means that the treatment is entirely tailored to you. There’s no one-size-fits-all method for improving breathing patterns and they’ll adapt the process as your body responds.
Why this matters
Learning to breathe better may sound simple, but for patients with breathing pattern issues, breathing re-education is usually quite intricate. Our respiratory physiotherapists are trained to pick up even subtle changes to your pattern, which you yourself might not have even noticed! Better breathing means more energy, better sleep, less anxiety and a greater ability to do the things you enjoy. If you’ve been putting up with breathing issues, managing them on your own will likely mean you’re not resolving them. Air Physiotherapy’s respiratory physiotherapists have the knowledge and tools to help you get back on track.
So, if you’re ready, we’re here to help you take that first step. You’ll leave your first appointment with a plan—and some breathing room (literally) to feel better. Book your appointment today.
