Oxygen is essential to all metabolic processes and to life. Breathing is particularly an issue for people with post-polio syndrome, or high level spinal cord conditions. The muscles that cause the lungs to expand and contract are often weakened by these conditions, limiting the amount of air you can draw in. Higher level paraplegics can also face breathing difficulties from limited use of trunk and abdominal muscles, and a reduced ability to cough and clear mucus. The respiratory therapist's job is to ensure that you are getting sufficient oxygen into your lungs.
Therapists can measure oxygen saturation in the capillaries of the ear or finger.
They listen to your lungs with a stethoscope to judge air movement and the presence of secretions. If you fall below a certain percentage, the therapist will take measures to improve your breathing. Doubts about your ability to breathe are often a source of deep fears and insecurities. If you have respiratory issues, the RT is one of the first people you meet and one of the first to spend significant time with you. RTs will work with occupational and physical therapists to select activities that help strengthen muscles in the chest and diaphragm used in breathing.