Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - Physio Explains!

By Physiotherapist Guiness Yeung.

What is COPD?

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a common and treatable lung disease characterised by chronic and progressive obstruction of airflow and tissue destruction in lungs. It is sometimes referred to as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. COPD is most commonly caused by smoking or prolonged exposure to noxious particles, leading to chronic inflammation in lungs damaging the structure with airway narrowing and reduced lung recoil. People with COPD often experience symptoms of breathlessness, persistent cough and sputum production. Wheezing and chest tightness may also be present. Other problems caused by COPD include altered breathing pattern, reduced cardiopulmonary function, muscle wasting and lower overall fitness.

1 in 20 Australians aged 45 and above have COPD. It is the 5th leading cause of death in Australia. (AIHW, 2020)

Physiotherapy Assessment

People with COPD are diagnosed by GP or a respiratory specialist. A physiotherapist determines the severity of the disease based on spirometry results, chest X-Rays, exposure to risk factors and subjective complaints.

A thorough assessment help identify patients’ goals, nutritional health, self-management capacity, health literacy, psychological health status, social circumstances and comorbid conditions.

A physiotherapist also performs functional test, such as a 6-minute walk test, to assess the aerobic capacity and endurance and evaluate the effectiveness of the program over time.

Functional upper and lower limb strength is also assessed through simple tests as it has been shown to be associated with health-related quality of life and mortality in people with COPD.

Physiotherapy Management – Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation adopts a holistic approach to improve health-related quality of life in people with COPD.

Empowerment education on breathing techniques, relaxation exercise and sputum clearance techniques are fundamental to equip patient with knowledge to help self-management, minimise anxiety and minimise hospitalisation during exacerbation.

Regular and ongoing supervised aerobic and resistance training have been shown to improve exercise tolerance and muscle strength. The training is individually prescribed and progressed from assessments of physical performance obtained at baseline.

Stretching exercise are also performed to stretch out the shortened breathing accessory muscle to enhance thoracic cage & trunk mobility.

Optimum Allied Health have a team of experienced Physiotherapists in our clinics in Capalaba, Tweed Heads, Ballina, Yamba, Grafton and Coffs Harbour.

If you are a healthcare provider you can refer directly to us under Community aged care (such as CHSP, Home Care Packages, STRC, etc), Medicare, DVA, Workcover or their private health insurance.

Individuals do not require a referral and can simoply book by emailing or calling the clinic on the numbers below

Should you have any questions or need to contact us further, please don't hesitate to do so.

To make an appointment or refferal to any of our clinics in Northern NSW and Souther QLD;
email: refer@opthealth.com.au

Phone: 1300 871 249