Improve Quality Of Life In Children With Cystic Fibrosis

The Pulmocardio Fisioterapia clinic in Brazil are working with children with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) to help improve their quality of life. They are offering children breathing assessments and breathing training. This is performed under the strict supervision of the therapists and parents. The training will help the children to tackle the respiratory restrictions that CF imposes. Their aim is to help these children live as ‘normal’ a life as possible. To do this they will be prescribing pulmonary rehab for children and adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis.

Cystic Fibrosis and breathing

Pulmocardio Fisioterapia will be focusing on breathing training for the children. And the reason for this is because CF impacts lung function leading to breathlessness. Not only that, it can impact exercise tolerance, increase fatigue and diminish quality of life. Furthermore it adversely affects muscle strength. As a consequence CF affects daily activities. So the aim of this breathing training is to help children maintain an ‘active’ lifestyle.

Improve breathing and improve quality of life

Pulmonary Rehab, offered to patients with CF, consists of exercise training and breathing strategies. This will help to increase exercise tolerance. POWERbreathe Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) is beneficial as part of a Pulmonary Rehab programme. This is because POWERbreathe IMT exercises the breathing muscles.  It makes the breathing muscles stronger. And with stronger breathing muscles exercise tolerance increases. In addition, breathing endurance increases. And by increasing breathing strength and endurance, breathing fatigue reduces. As a result, children are able to perform more daily activities. In turn this helps to improve their quality of life.

POWERbreathe IMT is clinically proven

POWERbreathe IMT is a clinically proven, drug-free treatment for people with breathing problems. And it is the only Inspiratory Muscle Training device available on prescription in the UK. It is widely used in research into the benefits of IMT for a variety of medical conditions. And healthcare professionals are prescribing it as a standalone treatment or as part of a rehab programme.

A randomised controlled trial

Benefits Of Combining Inspiratory Muscle With ‘Whole Muscle’ Training In Children With Cystic Fibrosis: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

The conclusion

In conclusion, ‘IMT is an easily applicable intervention that could be included, together with supervised exercise training in the standard care of these (Cystic Fibrosis) patients.’