Breath is life........

1. By : Dr. Jigar Mehta

3. Breathing Exercise
Breathing exercises are only part of a
treatment program designed to improve
pulmonary status & to improve a patient’s
overall endurance and function in ADLs.
Depending on patient’s clinical problem,
breathing exercises are often combined
with medications, postural drainage, and
graded exercise program.

4. Indications
Acute or chronic lung diseases e.g. COPD, etc.
Pain in thoracic or abdominal area because of
surgery or trauma.
Deficits in CNS that lead to muscle weakness
Severe orthopedic abnormalities e.g. Scoliosis
Stress management and relaxation procedure

5. Goals
 Improve ventilation
 Increase the effectiveness of cough
mechanism
 Prevents pulmonary complications
 Maintain or improve chest & thoracic spine
mobility
 Improve the strength, endurance & co-
ordination of respiratory muscles.
 Promote relaxation
 Improve patient overall functional capacity

6. Principles
• Area of exercises
• Explanation & Instruction to the patient
• Patients position
• Evaluate the patient
• Demonstration of exercise
• Patient practice

7. Precautions
• Never allow a patient to forced expiration.
• Don’t allow a patient to take a very prolonged
expiration.
• Don’t allow a patient initiate inspiration with the
accessory muscles.
• Avoid hyperventilation.

8. Types of Breathing Exercise
Three types are commonly used:
• Diaphragmatic breathing exercise
• Segmental breathing exercise
• Pursed lip breathing exercise

9. Diaphragmatic breathing exercise

10. Segmental breathing exercise
• It is important to emphasize expansion of the
localized area of the lung while keeping other
area quiet.
• Four types of segmental breathing exercise are:
Lateral costal expansion
Posterior basal expansion
Right middle or lingula expansion
Apical expansion

11. Segmental breathing exercise

12. Segmental breathing exercise

13. Pursed lip breathing exercise