breathing excercises, do you all do them?

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vampress

New member
my 9 year old daughter chloe has cf, no matter how hard i try i just cant get her to do her breathing excercises ( autogenic drainage) she hates doing it sooo much, ive tryed everything to get her to do them!
its turning out to be a real problem because she has got a large lump forming in her chest ( her ribs coming out of shape) and her physiotherapist said that it will stay like that if she dosnt do her breathing! it looks awful but she dosnt care at the minute! has any of you not done there breathing?, and have any of you also got a pigeon chest and are wing backed? im really worried about it, also if you have any tips on how i can get her to do the excersises i would really appriciate it!
thanks,
nikki.
 
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shamrock

New member
Hi I used to slack on doing my breathing excercises too. My parents got really worried about me so my dad devised this system, we called the log book, where every time i did my treatments i ticked them off. If I did like a week perfect I got a treat. Bigger treats required longer runs of perfect. It may seem a bit childish but it worked for me and gave me the motivation to do them. Maybe somathing like this may help?<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0"><img src="i/expressions/rose.gif" border="0">
 
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anonymous

New member
rather than the autogenic therapy try using the accopella (flutter like device) as an alternative, it is a little more "fun".


Luke 29/cf
 
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anonymous

New member
Nikki,
Welcome to the uphill battle that is pulmonary therapy! Your daughter is being a totally normal CFer, it's hard for us, especially at such a young age to discipline ourselves ALL THE TIME. I do think that autogenic drainage is a good tool, but it is just ONE of the tools in the box and shouldn't be relied on totally. Finding a system that works for you is going to take alot of trial and error. Maybe she should do her breathing on odd days and you pound on her chest on the even days...something like that.

The flutter is a good idea! Try the vest or a pep-vaulve. Mix it up!

I will say that it is VERY important to help her do her treatments. Wheather it's pounding on her chest and back, or just sitting with her while she does her autogenic drainage, it's time well spent. It will help her know that she does not deal with CF alone.
Debbie
23 w/ CF
 
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anonymous

New member
Autogenic therapy dosen't use any device. It is when you take varying levels of breaths to promote section removal.


Luke
 
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jamey

New member
this is the first i have ever heard of autogenic therapy. but the only thing ive ever done besides the vest, flutter and manual cpt, is pursed lipped breathing. which i just started that this past year since i get shorter of breathe and on oxygen now. but i find when i get really short of breathe if i stop and do some pursed lipped it really helps.
 
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anonymous

New member
My physio has always said that autogenic drainage is only for people who are really committed and that it requires alot of concentration. Surely the physio has offered alternatives like the flutter, pep mask, trampolining, active cycle of breathing. What age was your daughter diagnosed and how long has she been doing autogenic drainage? It sounds as if it could be too much hard work for a 9 year old and I don't blame her for not wanting to do it. I'd say try something else each time she loses interest and try to keep her as active as possible doing things she enjoys. Speak to her physio about all the options and have the physio make it less of a chore and help her understand the importance and make her feel special when she finds the right thing for her. I hope it all works out cos physio can be a big pain in the butt.
J
 
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anonymous

New member
this is off the topic but,,,Nicki do you have any kind of messenger???? i have a 3.5 yr old wcf and im also 25.. it would be nice to talk to a mom my age that goes through the same things... let me know or just add me to messenger

Melissa04281 is my aol one

momtocfr@yahoo.com

i also have msn if you dont have these.. jsut let me know thanks
 
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vampress

New member
hi mellisa, i will add you to my yahoo...i also have msn which i prefer (nursejuggs@hotmail.com)
i would love to chat with you!
thanks everyone for your advice, ive tryed all those treat tricks, we had a star chart, its works for a while but then she gets bored, shes quite spoilt anyway ( not because she has cf, just because all my kids are! ) so she gets treats anyway ...weve even tryed paying her cash!...she has a flutter but its the same with that she just dosnt want to know.
her physiotherapist started AD on her about 18 months ago, and chloe can do it brilliantly when she wants to, we have been told to stop doing postral drainage on her scince then, does that still work with her been 9? i was looking on ebay the other day and i typed cystic fibrosis in there search thing and this breathing excerciser came up, it excercises the lungs have any of you heard of this? obviously i wouldnt buy one of ebay but it intrests me.
any more advice would be appriciated! thanks everyone.x
 
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anonymous

New member
for the vest go to www.thevest.com


also i added you to my msn messenger since you perfer that one<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif" border="0">

Melissa
 
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Mockingbird

New member
I think 9 years old is way too young for autogenic drainage! I can't blame your daughter for not wanting to do it, I wouldn't have wanted to at nine, either. I think I was still getting pounded at nine. All I had to do was lay there! Definetely talk to your doctor about other methods. The vest is really expensive, but I guess a lot of people have had results from it. I don't know if they still are teaching how to do pounding, but It might be a good idea to learn it, then when your daughter isn't cooperating, you can be in control. =-) Well, at least a little bit. =-) Definetely talk to your doctor though, and if he insists on autogenic drainage, tell him he is a moron. =-)

Jarod
22 w/cf
 
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anonymous

New member
I think Jarod is right. 9 is a little young for AG. BUT I do think it's good that she's learned it!

Debbie
23 w/ CF
 
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vampress

New member
i know how to do pounding, but ive been told not to do it any more!
the physio said she is very capable of doing AD, but thinking of it now, yeh she is too young! i wouldnt have liked to do that at my age either and if i did pounding i would be in control, i would just let her watch TV or something whilst i did it, chloes at clinic in the morning so i will ask them about it, thanks alot everyone!
x
 
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anonymous

New member
I'm curious if anyone out there - parent or anyone w/cf - pracitices the huff cough. Our 4 year old is learning how to do this betwee his vest intervals, but I don't know if he's doing it quite right. The "huff" seems to stem more from his throat and he rarely gets anything up afterward.

Carey
 
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nobody

New member
Some definitions for all:
Autogenic Drainage - breathing method using a sequence of in/out breaths with positioning of the body to target specific lung lobes.

Flutter/Acapella - devices used while exhaling (blow into) that ocillate air to "move" the airways to help loosen secretions.

Chest Physio-Therapy - method of clapping (not pounding) on chest/sides/back to resonate sound waves through the lung to help loosen
secretions. Also, use in tandem a shaking/jackhammering action along with huffing to remove secretions.

Vest - a worn vest that is connected to a machine that pumps air into/out-of the vest to squeeze/loosen, very fast, the chest.

PEP valve - a device to blow through, where the outside opening is a small hole. One blows through the larger opening to the smaller one.
This creates back-pressure in the lungs, opening up airways to help remove plugs/secretions. This also can be done by pursed lips
(like blowing out a candle). One of effects of this, is a slight increase of oxygen into the blood while doing it.

Commentary (opinion):
I was taught autogenic drainage and Chest PT. One center I went to said, Chest PT was ineffective, therefore, they taught autogenic
drainage. Another center does not even teach autogenic. From experience, I find it's best to use a mixing of the two.

Some centers are not advocating manual therapy for various reasons. They mistakenly get the idea that "old" therapies are outdated. The
new techniques are cool, and in some cases advantagous, but I find that all the new really is a good ADD to the traditional therapy, Chest PT.

Make sure you ask your pulmonary Dr. if manual PT poses a health problem for Chloe.

Suggestions: - BRIBERY!!! (LOL) - Seriously, some kind of incentive ($) might work!

-steve
 
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Mockingbird

New member
4 year olds doing huff coughs? That seems way too young. What is going on with doctors out there? And what happened to pounding? <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif" border="0">

Jarod
22 w/cf
 
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