Tutorial presented by Martine Edwards, a specialist respiratory physiotherapist and lead for breathing pattern disorders in BCUHB.

In this tutorial, Martine discusses Breathing Pattern Disorders (BPD), an umbrella term that describes a spectrum of abnormal breathing patterns, which are persistent enough to cause respiratory and non-respiratory symptoms, in the absence of, or excess of any ongoing organic cause.

There are three dimensions of BPD:

• Mechanical
• Biochemical
• Psychological

Irrespective of which or how many dimensions are involved, the first step of treatment is to normalise the breath.

The Brompton Breathing Pattern Assessment Tool (linked below) is a useful tool for assessing breathing pattern and can be completed during a consultation simply by observing the patients’ breathing pattern for 1 minute. A score of 4 or more is indicative of a breathing pattern disorder.

Returning to a normal breathing pattern takes a lot of work, but there are resources that patients can be signposted to, including Physiotherapy for BPD.