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Physical Therapy Improves Quality of Life in COPD Patients
Physical therapist treatment for COPD, which includes breathing training and exercise, can help improve the quality of life for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) stated in recognition of November’s National COPD Awareness Month.
COPD, also called emphysema or chronic bronchitis, is a serious lung disease that over time makes it difficult for a person to breathe. For people who have COPD, the airways (tubes that carry air in and out of the lungs) are partially blocked, which makes it difficult to expel air. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, with more women than men dying of the disease. The number of people living with COPD is increasing.
“The goal of physical therapist treatment of COPD is to help people manage their illness and prevent the need for hospitalization,” said Donna Frownfelter, PT, DPT, MA, CCS,FCCP, RRT, program director and assistant professor of physical therapy at the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/The College of Health Professions in North Chicago, Illinois.
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