Can’t Do Breathing Exercises? Try This Instead 🌬️💙 | Severe Cerebral Palsy Pediatric PT #13

🌬️ Helping Breathing After Scoliosis Surgery — Meet Jack 💙 Pediatric Physical Therapy I’m so glad you’re here. Please meet my wonderful co-instructor Jack 👦🏼. Jack is 13 years old and has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy (GMFCS Level V). Jack also has a seizure disorder, cortical vision impairment, scoliosis, and complex medical needs. He wears a cochlear implant and hearing aid and receives all nutrition through a G-tube. Jack has had previous orthopedic surgeries including femoral derotation and heel-cord lengthenings. And most importantly — he is truly delightful. ✨ Jack is preparing for scoliosis surgery, and one important challenge after surgery is breathing. Children often have difficulty relaxing their breathing, which can affect comfort, coughing, and overall stiffness. In this video, I demonstrate a simple, hands-on way to support breathing for children who may not be able to follow complex directions. Using gentle pressure on the rib cage during exhalation, you can help guide a deeper, more effective breath. This technique can be especially helpful for children like Jack who are not able to use typical breathing tools such as an incentive spirometer. To help demonstrate the technique, I first practice with Jack’s sister, Emory 👧🏼, so you can clearly see how the movement of the ribs changes with guided breathing. When done correctly, you may notice: • Increased depth of breathing • Improved chest movement • Better relaxation during breathing This is a simple technique that caregivers can use to support breathing after surgery or during times when breathing feels shallow or restricted. 🕒 Video Chapters 0:00 Introduction & meet Jack and Emory 0:31 Why breathing can be difficult after scoliosis surgery 0:55 Facilitated breathing explanation 1:16 Demonstration with Emory 2:03 Facilitated breathing with Jack 3:08 Upright positioning and diaphragmatic breathing 3:40 Why breathing exercises matter after surgery 3:58 Closing 🎯 Key topics discussed 🌬️ Facilitated breathing using rib cage support 🫁 Supporting deeper breaths without verbal instructions 👐 Hands-on technique for caregivers 🏥 Breathing challenges after scoliosis surgery 💙 Simple strategies for children with complex needs 🌍 Who this video is for This video may be helpful for: 👨🏽‍👩🏼‍👧 Families of children with cerebral palsy 👩🏾‍⚕️👨🏼‍⚕️ Therapists working with children at GMFCS IV–V 👩🏽‍🏫 Caregivers supporting children with limited communication 🧑🏾‍🦽 Children preparing for or recovering from scoliosis surgery ⚠️ Important note This video is shared for educational purposes only. Every child is different. Please speak with your child’s physician or therapist before making medical or therapy decisions. 📚 My Children’s & Professional Physical Therapy Books “P is for Poop and Pee Accidents” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLSRJ483 “A is for Anxiety” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LXQ3W6V “A is for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QH9H5HR “C is for Cerebral Palsy” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088TSJCYP “D is for Down Syndrome” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079P8HH49 “A is for Autism” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071F4FFTB “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Hips” https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156736 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Knees” http://www.amazon.com/dp/0998156760 “Pediatric Physical Therapy Strengthening Exercises for the Ankles” https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TX2ZCFD ✨ Watch More Videos with Jack Jack’s Playlist → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAkJbMrHyKjM8cf4VN1tDJr3WVctwiPSI My email: amysturkey@gmail.com Please remember I cannot provide treatment recommendations for a child that I have not personally evaluated. 🌍 Captions I review and correct all captions for accuracy. To turn captions on or change the language: CC → Settings → Subtitles/CC → Auto-translate If captions cover important parts of the video, they can be turned off using the CC button. 👉🏽 Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly videos and tap the 🔔 so you never miss an update!