Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causes breathing difficulty and leads to other systemic problems. Smoking causes most cases of COPD, which is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability. It’s estimated that by 2030, COPD will be the third leading cause of death worldwide. Although COPD used to be more common among men, it now affects women nearly as equally in developed countries.
Physical therapists can work with your pulmonary rehabilitation team or with you individually to help improve:
- Your exercise capacity
- Your overall strength
- Your quality of life
What Is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)?
In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the airways in your lung lose their normal shape and elasticity and can become inflamed. The result is that the airways are less efficient at moving air in and out of your lungs. Although smoking is a primary risk factor for developing COPD, nonsmokers can get it too. Genetic factors and the inhaling of toxic substances can play a role.
The most common types of COPD are:
- Chronic bronchitis—a chronic inflammation of the medium-size airways, or “bronchi” in the lungs, causing a persistent cough that produces sputum (phlegm) and mucus for at least 3 months per year in 2 consecutive years.
- Emphysema—a condition in which small air sacs in the lungs called “alveoli” are damaged. The body has difficulty getting all of the oxygen it needs, resulting in shortness of breath (“dyspnea”) and a chronic cough.
In addition to causing breathing difficulty, COPD results in cough, sputum production, and other symptoms. The disease can affect the whole body and lead to:
- Weakness in the arms and legs
- Balance problems and increased risk of falls
- Nutritional problems (weight loss or gain)
People with COPD are likely to have other health problems that can make the effects of COPD worse, such as:
- Reduced blood supply to the heart (ischemic heart disease)
- High blood pressure(hypertension)
- Depression
- Lung cancer
- Osteoporosis
Over time, COPD leads to greater and greater decline in physical function, partly because of increased shortness of breath (dyspnea) and loss of muscle. There are 4 stages of COPD—mild, moderate, severe, and very severe—based on measurements of the amount or flow of air as you inhale and exhale. People with COPD may need to take medications or may require supplemental oxygen.
How Can a Physical Therapist Help?
Your physical therapist will perform an evaluation that includes:
- A review of your history, including smoking history, exposure to toxic chemicals or dust, conditions other than COPD, and hospitalizations related to your breathing problems
- A review of your medications
- Assessment of what makes your symptoms worse and what relieves them
- Review of lung function test results
- Muscle strength tests
- Walk tests to measure your exercise capacity
- Tests of your balance and your risk of falling
Pulmonary rehabilitation, including exercise training for at least 4 weeks, has been shown to improve shortness of breath, quality of life, and strategies for coping with COPD. Your physical therapist will serve as an important member of your health care team and will work closely with you to design a program that takes into account your goals for treatment. Your physical therapist’s overall goal is to help you to continue to do your roles in the home, at work, and in the community.
Improve Your Ability to Be Physically Active
Based on the latest research, your physical therapist will design special exercises that train the muscles you use in walking and the muscles of your arms so that you can increase your aerobic capacity and reduce your shortness of breath.
Research has shown that strength training in people with moderate to severe COPD increases muscle mass and overall strength. Your physical therapist will provide strengthening exercises for your arms and legs. Sometimes even with medications, people with COPD will have shortness of breath and reduced strength in their “inspiratory muscles” (the muscles used to breathe in). Your physical therapist can help you with inspiratory muscle training, which has been shown to help reduce shortness of breath and increase exercise capacity.
Improve Your Breathing During Activity
Your physical therapist can instruct you in pursed lip breathing, which can help to reduce shortness of breath during your physical activities.
Improve Your Balance
Balance often is worse in people who require supplemental oxygen. If testing indicates that you have a balance problem or are at risk for falling, your physical therapist can help by designing exercises aimed at improving your balance and helping you feel more steady on your feet.
Can this Injury or Condition be Prevented?
One of the most important ways to prevent COPD is to stop smoking, which can prevent COPD, delay its onset, or delay the worsening of breathing difficulty. If you are a smoker who has a cough or shortness of breath but whose tests don’t yet show a decline in lung function, you may be able to avoid a diagnosis of COPD if you stop smoking now! The American Lung Association offers an online Freedom From Smoking® program for adult smokers. Your physical therapist also can help you get in touch with local smoking cessation programs.
If you already have COPD, your physical therapist can guide you to help slow the progression. The therapist will show you how to continue an exercise program after you’ve completed your physical therapy treatment. According to researchers, regular exercise that’s continued after pulmonary rehabilitation for COPD helps slow the decline in quality of life and shortness of breath during activities of daily living. One study found that patients who continued exercising after completing a pulmonary rehabilitation program maintained the gains that had been made, whereas those who stopped their exercise program had a major decline in their exercise endurance and psychological functioning.
People with COPD may have weight problems. Weight loss in particular has been found to contribute to mortality in people with COPD. Your physical therapist can help you prevent weight problems by designing an exercise program that you’ll stick with and referring you to a nutritionist for help with your diet.
Real Life Experiences
Thomas is a 68-year-old man who recently was diagnosed with COPD. He smoked 1.5 packs of cigarettes for 40 years before quitting 2 years ago. He is referred to a cardiopulmonary physical therapist after telling his physician that he is having more difficulty climbing up and down stairs as well as trouble golfing. He notes that he is having increased shortness of breath and now has to ride the golf course in a cart rather than walking. He reports that his other main problem is leg fatigue with walking, which further contributes to his movement limitations.
The physical therapist performs an evaluation and notes that Thomas has a reduced exercise capacity based on a test called the “6-minute walk test.” Based on other tests, the therapist finds that Thomas has decreased leg strength and decreased endurance. Thomas says that he feels like he doesn’t have much control over his breathing, which is affecting his quality of life.
Over the course of his physical therapy treatment, the physical therapist teaches him how to use such equipment as the treadmill, stationary bicycle, and “upper-body ergometer” (a kind of bicycle that’s just for the upper arms) as well as weight-lifting exercises. The therapist also instructs him in how to do pursed lip breathing, how to pace himself during his activities, and how to best conserve his energy.
At the end of his physical therapy, Thomas is able to walk 200 feet farther on the 6- minute walk test with reduced shortness of breath and leg fatigue. He resumes golfing and is able to walk half of the course before requiring a cart. He reports that he also feels much more at ease on the stairs and has an improved overall sense of control of his breathing. He joins a local gym, where he plans on continuing his walking program 3 times per week.
This story was based on a real-life case. Your case may be different. Your physical therapist will tailor a treatment program to your specific case.
What Kind of Physical Therapist Do I Need?
All physical therapists are prepared through education and experience to treat a variety of conditions and injuries. You may want to consider:
- A physical therapist who is experienced in treating people with pulmonary problems.
- A physical therapist who is a board-certified clinical specialist or who completed a residency or fellowship in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy. This therapist has advanced knowledge,experience, and skills that may apply to your condition.
You can find physical therapists who have these and other credentials by using Find a PT, the online tool built by the American Physical Therapy Association to help you search for physical therapists with specific clinical expertise in your geographic area.
General tips when you’re looking for a physical therapist:
- Get recommendations from family and friends or from other health care providers.
- When you contact a physical therapy clinic for an appointment, ask about the physical therapist’s experience in helping people with COPD.
- During your first visit with the physical therapist, be prepared to describe your symptoms in as much detail as possible, and say what makes your symptoms worse.