Rehabilitation of a patient with asthma in the outpatient setting

Analysis of body posture in children with mild to moderate asthma

“…The consequent overuse of the primary and secondary respiratory muscles may lead to the development of head and cervical spine postural changes [10]. Strunk et al [29] reported an increase of cervical lordosis in patients with asthma and rectification of lumbar lordosis associated with the excessive use of accessory respiratory muscles.…”

Evaluation of a Home-Based Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program for Older Females Suffering from Bronchial Asthma

“…Exercise programs designed for asthmatic patients have a beneficial impact on their physical, physiological, and psychological parameters as well as on their social and personal relationships [3]. However, these interventions have not involved asthmatic senior women [4].…”

Rehabilitation and Its Concern

“…Additional benefits of breathing exercises are to correct deviant posture, strengthen abdominal muscles, teach diaphragmatic and lower costal breathing and increase chest expansion (Lustig et al, 1972). Fluge et al (2004) demonstrated that breathing exercises have been found to increase FEV1, VC and to reduce RV significantly while Strunk et al (1991) also indicated that breathing exercises can decrease the work of breathing, improve ventilation, decrease oxygen consumption and decrease psychological anxiety.…”

“…Girodo et al (1992) also found reductions in medication usage and in the intensity of asthmatic symptoms of 32 asthmatic patients utilising breathing training making use of a physical corset. One of the problems with prescribing breathing exercises is that although eagerly accepted by asthma patients, they are just as easily found boring and soon forgotten (Strunk et al, 1991). Therefore, the structure and setting of the exercises are important since it has been established that breathing exercises have resulted in thousands of asthma suffers reducing their medication intake and experiencing a sense of control even though this breathing technique does not alter the disease process (Cooper et al, 2003).…”

“…Futher, since asthmatics have a loss of midcervical lordosis more weight and tension is exerted at the cervical-thoracic junction which can lead to an increase in thoracic kyphosis that abducts the scapulae which shortens the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor, lengthens the rhomboids and lowers the trapezius I and II and shortens the serratus anterior, latissimus dorsi, subscapularis and teres major, all of which affect normal breathing (Ayub, 1987). Strunk et al (1991) also pointed out that postural retraining can correct thoracic kyphosis and improve breathing in asthmatics especially in severe asthmatics that are more likely to suffer from such postural abnormalities when the pectoral and intercostal muscles are stretched. Ayub (1987) stated that postural retraining in asthmatics should focus on the facilitation of correcting righting, equilibrium and protective reactions with normal tactile, proprioceptive and kinesthetic input.…”