By Lee Guion, MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist. You can maximize lung function at every stage of ALS, even before you experience symptoms of shallow breathing. Beginning with this column, I will describe a variety of techniques to choose from with links to instructional videos. The
Read more →By Lee Guion, MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist Getting the best results Lung function testing, or spirometry, may cause anxiety, especially if it’s your first test or you’ve noticed changes in your breathing. You might be competitive by nature and will strain to do your very
Read more →By Lee Guion, MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist Although spirometry gives us the big picture on how lung muscles work together (diaphragm, intercostal, abdominal), additional measures refine our knowledge. Other lung function tests include: MIP (maximum inspiratory pressure) is a more sensitive test of inspiratory muscle
Read more →By Danielle Dunphy, RRT and Lee Guion MA, RRT. Summer is here, and with the warm weather comes vacations and weekend getaways! But vacations and weekend getaways are not always easy for PALS and their families. Below are some tips that may help make your vacation more
Read more →By Lee Guion, MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) measure lung muscle strength and overall function. Lung function should be assessed at each clinic visit as part of an overall disease management strategy. Test results are used to determine need for breathing assistance
Read more →By Lee Guion, MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist After each exhalation is measured by the spirometer, your results will be compared to “normal” or “predicted” values and expressed as a percentage of predicted (FVC %, FEV1 %). These reference values come from a large national database
Read more →By Lee Guion MA, RRT, FAARC Neurorespiratory Clinical Specialist ALS affects the mechanical function of the lungs. The major muscles of breathing are the diaphragm (which does most of the work), the intercostal muscles (those between the ribs), and abdominal muscles (necessary for coughing). The lungs
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By Lee Guion, M.A., Neurorespiratory Therapist. Breath Stacking is a technique that some patients at our clinic find beneficial especially if started early. It is simple and can be done without any equipment. By fully and slowly breathing in and stacking one breath on top of
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By Amy Roman, M.S., Speech Therapist. Many people with ALS benefit greatly from voice amplifiers. While an amplifier can’t make speech clearer it can make it louder which is essential for those with reduced breath support. pALS who use amplifiers report a decrease in effort and fatigue
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