PHYSIOTHERAPY

Abstract

Physiotherapy has long been utilized in the treatment of patients with respiratory problems. In the late 1950s, breathing exercises were recommended as a treatment for patients with chronic chest diseases but this suggestion was short-lived, as the efficacy of these exercises was inconclusive. Until the late 1970s, chest physiotherapy was a passive treatment on the part of the patient and the physiotherapist carried out manual chest physiotherapy techniques including percussion, vibrations, and shaking with gravity-assisted positions. The development of the active cycle of breathing technique (breathing control, lower thoracic expansion exercises, and forced expiratory technique), autogenic drainage, and adjunct physiotherapy aids in the removal of secretions. Procedures such as intermittent positive breathing techniques, have enhanced the treatment of chest clearance for patients with acute or chronic respiratory problems. Chest physiotherapy is routinely employed as a prophylactic measure prior to major surgery and postoperatively to prevent respiratory complications such as atelactasis and pneumonia. However, most of the systematic reviews that examined these techniques were inconclusive in their findings. To ascertain the benefits of these techniques in terms of reducing respiratory morbidity and healthcare usage and to improve the quality of life for patients with chronic respiratory problems, well-controlled clinical trials are needed.