Lto World Physiotherapy Day was established in 1996 by World Confederation for Physical Therapy, which represents physiotherapy on a global level with the aim of raising awareness of its importance in every area of application. The message we wish to spread is the fundamental contribution that Physiotherapy offers to the health of people of all ages and in many conditions.
Physiotherapy: from the heart to the breath
«In the respiratory field, physiotherapy represents a crucial point of treatment», explains the Doctor Andrea Lanza, physiotherapist and president of ArIR, Association of Respiratory Insufficiency Rehabilitators, which was founded in 1989 with the “Mission to spread culture on respiratory pathologies and the training of physiotherapists on the subject”.
Physiotherapy to improve quality of life
Today the cardiorespiratory specialist physiotherapist is a healthcare professional capable of evaluating and proposing individualized and targeted interventions, complementary to drugsOf prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliation in both acute and chronic respiratory pathologies of children and adults. Among the main areas of intervention, respiratory physiotherapy is aimed at patients with: asthmapulmonary fibrosis, bronchiectasis, neuromuscular pathologies. But also to patients undergoing major abdominal, thoracic and cardiological surgery, who may require surgery bronchial unblockingmechanical ventilation, re-adaptation and exercise retraining in different care settings, from intensive care to home.
A non-pharmacological treatment…
Respiratory rehabilitation is considered the elective non-pharmacological treatment for chronic respiratory diseases, but even today only a small proportion of patients have access to this type of path. Much still remains to be done in the fields of academic training and healthcare organisation. In fact, with the exception of rehabilitation departments, The presence of this professional figure is not expected in healthcare facilities and you must also add the lack of contractual recognition of specialization.
… Fundamental but little recognized
Although it is now clear that the presence of physiotherapists with specialist skills in the respiratory field can make a difference both in terms of improving the quality of life of patients and in terms of saving on healthcare costs, there are still too few hospitals have respiratory physiotherapists.
ArIR is in constant synergy with patient associations, such as the APS Let’s Breathe Together with which it shares initiatives that have the ability to reach a large audience of patients at a widespread level. She talks about it there Doctor Simona Barbaglia, president of Breathe Together, association which represents patients with different pathologies of the respiratory system and which will participate in the Physiotherapy Day with numerous communication activities to raise awareness of this activity which brings a great and growing added value to the quality of life of those suffering from respiratory diseases.
Respiratory physiotherapy not yet available to everyone
«It is necessary to divide patients into two types: those who are included in an outpatient or residential respiratory physiotherapy program and those who are unable to access this service. In the first case, i patients report great benefit from the practice of FTR. In the second case, however, these are patients, albeit with significant pathologies and need to be taken care of, who they have no information on respiratory physiotherapy.
There are many Regions in which this service is present on paper but in reality they are able to access it, even with great difficulty, only privately and therefore with huge costs borne by patients, effectively creating discrimination”, explains Doctor Barbaglia.
The Associations’ commitment to giving patients a voice
«As an association – continues Doctor Barbaglia – we are increasingly committed to recognition and recognition right of access to a service considered an essential treatment.
Every day we respond with concrete support to patients and associates in need of information. With the realization of awareness campaigns aimed at informing citizens and institutions. With initiatives shared between associations such as the therapeutic adherence support project “DEVICES 4PATIENTS”, with ArIR. Respiratory Physiotherapy is one powerful ally in pulmonary care and rehabilitationone of the most effective therapeutic interventions and with the highest level of scientific evidence in the treatment of respiratory diseases”, concludes Simona Barbaglia.
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