Abstract
Positioning improves the efficiency and effectiveness of both primary and accessory muscles of breathing and therefore helps to ease breathlessness. Patients who are breathless take up a wide variety of positions and choice of position is often influenced by pathology. This chapter will review the variety of positions that help to ease breathlessness at rest and after exertion. Theories and mechanical basis regarding why such positions help reduce breathlessness will be explored. The use of walking aids, to enable positions of ease to be used during mobilising, will also be discussed.
Getting my breath back with this kind of position, leaning on my elbows, that was a very useful suggestion
– A gentleman with pulmonary fibrosis.
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag London
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Booth, S., Burkin, J., Moffat, C., Spathis, A. (2014). Positions to Ease Breathlessness. In: Managing Breathlessness in Clinical Practice. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4754-1_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4754-1_4
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