A healthy lung with breathing difficulties: respiratory physiotherapy for dysfunctional breathing

Abstract

Functional somatic symptoms also manifest as dysfunctional breathing or dysfunctional respiratory symptoms in children, adolescents, and adults. In addition to medical treatment with, e.g., positive diagnosis and reassurance, the therapy of these disorders also includes the prescription of respiratory physiotherapy in the outpatient setting. Specialized physical therapists who focus on respiratory physiotherapy can contribute significantly to symptom control or symptom freedom. The primary focus of respiratory physiotherapy is education with sharing of information, regarding physiological and non-physiological breathing patterns and respiratory symptoms, the retraining of physiological breathing patterns, and providing self-help techniques.