Respiratory physiotherapy Benefits
Since the coronavirus enters the human body and infects the respiratory tract, the disease is accompanied by respiratory complications such as pneumonia, severe shortness of breath and other symptoms.
To reduce shortness of breath, respiratory physiotherapy has facilitated airway access to the lungs by advising the patient on positioning, such as lying on their back, lying on their right side, and lying down.
Depending on the condition of the patient, postural drainage techniques such as clapping, shaking, vibrating, etc. help to get rid of the accumulated phlegm in the chest. This will reduce the level of infection.
In addition to taking medication, therapeutic exercises such as deep breathing exercises, controlled breathing exercises, purse lip breathing, inspiring muscle training, intercostal muscle stretching, huffing, etc. can reduce the respiratory complications of the patient. The main goal of a skilled respiratory physiotherapist is to strengthen the patient’s respiratory system before going for mechanical ventilation and to speed up the ventilation process for those who are on ventilation to reduce reliance on ventilators.
Indiana University Professor Dr. Tasbirul Islam spoke about the importance of physiotherapy in treating debilitated patients with coronavirus.
In the developed world, respiratory physiotherapists are employed to perform pulmonary or respiratory rehabilitation in the chest medicine ward, in the ICU, before and after lung surgery, and in multidisciplinary teams as needed by the patient.
Marta Lazer, an experienced physiotherapist at the Great Metropolitan Hospital in Milan, Italy, emphasizes the importance of respiratory physiotherapy in treating the lungs of patients with COVID-19. Maybe. As a result, the patient should be placed on CKEP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) in addition to high flow oxygen therapy on an emergency basis.
All of this is done under the constant supervision of a respiratory physiotherapist. The specialist respiratory physiotherapy practitioner also said to keep the patient’s airways active and to give the patient breathing exercises and use postural drainage procedures to cure shortness of breath.
In a recent interview with Sky News, Ms. Rachel Colchlah, vice-president of the Chartered Respiratory Physiotherapy Association of the United Kingdom and a physiotherapist at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, described the role of the coronavirus patient in the ICU service. Helping and keeping the airways in the lungs moving by expelling the mucus inside. To do this, we do not have to restart certain techniques, such as vibration or assistive cough techniques, which help to remove mucus from the airway.
Assistant Professor and Respiratory Physiotherapy Specialist at Topiwala National Medical College, Mumbai, India. Rachna Aurora said that in recent times, Covid-19 has been coming up with respiratory physiotherapy to reduce the complications of shortness of breath. Respiratory physiotherapists also play a leading role in respiratory failure of patients with COPD, respiratory failure.
Medication as well as respiratory physiotherapy is required. Elderly patients (60-70 years) in the hospital or at home can see the oxygen saturation rate with the help of pulse oximeter, when it is 91-93%, they can keep this rate under normal control through various active exercises such as walking, getting up and sitting, free hand exercises. Only a skilled physiotherapist can determine when to give such advice at any stage.
Cardiothoracic surgeon at the NHS Trust Hospital in Oxford, England. Shakil Farid also spoke about the importance of Covid-19 treatment guidelines and the importance of respiratory physiotherapy for the recovery of the patient. Respiratory physiotherapy treatment has a role in all stages of prevention from Covid-19 prevention. People who are not infected can also strengthen the respiratory system by breathing exercises and increase the amount of oxygen in the blood. It will reduce the chances of getting infected.
But the unfortunate thing is that the importance of this most recognized physiotherapy treatment has not been realized in our country and skilled physiotherapists have not been added to the health structure. In this catastrophic situation, it is very important to hire physiotherapists with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to utilize the latest medical system of skilled physiotherapists.