Providing personalised, evidence-based Respiratory Physiotherapy to help people breathe well and live well on the Sunshine Coast.
Book a free 15-Minute Phone Call to find out more
Breathe Better
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Live Better
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Breathe Better 〰️ Live Better 〰️
Breathing is something we do every moment of every day, and when it doesn’t feel right, it can affect everything.
I'm Clare from Body and Breath Physiotherapy - a respiratory physiotherapist based in Tewantin, Noosa, providing care both face-to-face and via Telehealth across the Sunshine Coast and Australia-wide. I support people with chronic respiratory conditions and other breathing concerns including breathing pattern disorders. I work to optimise lung function and breathing patterns while also considering posture, movement, the nervous system, and what matters most to you. Because breathing involves your whole body, your treatment is tailored to your unique needs and lifestyle.
ABOUT
Free 15-Minute Phone Call
Not sure if respiratory physiotherapy is right for you?
I offer a free phone call to chat through your breathing concerns and explore whether respiratory physiotherapy may be appropriate for your needs.
No treatment is provided during this call.
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Your breathing pattern can influence asthma symptoms in some cases increasing bronchospasm and anxiety.
Respiratory physiotherapy can support you to better manage your asthma through:
Education about asthma and symptom awareness
Optimising your breathing pattern
Inhaler technique assessment
Inspiratory muscle strength training
Airway clearance techniques (if needed)
Guidance around safe, graded exercise
Working collaboratively with your healthcare team
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I work with people with chronic respiratory conditions including: COPD (emphysema and chronic bronchitis), bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis.
Many people experience ongoing breathlessness, difficulty clearing secretions, reduced exercise tolerance and confidence.
Respiratory physiotherapy can help you manage your respiratory condition through:
Education about your condition and symptom management
Optimising your breathing pattern
Airway clearance techniques
Inspiratory muscle strength training
Support with safe, graded exercise and pacing strategies
Inhaler technique
Self-management strategies
Working collaboratively with you healthcare team
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The purpose of a cough is to clear irritants or secretions from the airways.
A cough is considered chronic if it lasts longer than eight weeks. In some cases, the cough continues even when there is no mucus to clear. This can happen due to airway hypersensitivity or irritation or a learned/habit cough pattern.
Over time, the cough reflex can become overly sensitive — meaning small triggers such as talking, laughing, cold air, strong smells, or a throat tickle can set it off.
Respiratory physiotherapy can help by:
Providing education about chronic cough and common triggers
Teaching cough suppression strategies
Reducing throat and upper chest tension
Retraining breathing patterns
Supporting nervous system regulation
The aim is to help calm the cough reflex, reduce frequency and severity, and give you practical tools to feel more in control.
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When you experience stress or anxiety, the body shifts into “fight or flight” mode. This naturally changes the way we breathe — often becoming faster, deeper, and more upper-chest dominant. You might also notice increased tension in your neck and shoulders.
This response is completely normal and helpful in short bursts. However, when stress becomes ongoing, this breathing pattern can become habitual.
Breathing in this way can create physiological changes in the body that further stimulate the nervous system. Over time, this may contribute to increased feelings of anxiety, breathlessness, light-headedness, chest tightness, or fatigue — creating a cycle that can feel difficult to break.
Respiratory physiotherapy focuses on:
gently retraining your breathing pattern
Education and understanding about the role that breathing may be having on your stress and anxiety
improving diaphragm function
reducing unnecessary muscle tension
supporting nervous system regulation.
The aim is to help you feel calmer, more in control of your breathing, and more confident in your body.
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Chronic pain is pain that persists for longer than the expected healing time, often this is pain that lasts over three months. Chronic pain can affect energy levels, sleep, mood, movement and confidence.
When pain is ongoing it can affect your breathing patterns often becoming faster, shallower or more upper-chest dominant. Muscle tension, particularly through the neck, shoulders can also increase.
Living with chronic pain has an impact on the nervous system and can contribute to a cycle of pain, tension, fatigue and stress.
Respiratory physiotherapy can help by:
Assessing and optimising your breathing pattern
Improving diaphragm function and breathing muscle coordination
Reducing muscle tension and tightness
Supporting nervous system regulation
Guiding gentle, graded return to movement
The aim is not to suggest pain is ‘just breathing’ but to optimise your breathing pattern to help calm your nervous system, improve body awareness and support your overall pain management plan.
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After a hospital stay, illness or surgery it’s common to experience breathlessness, fatigue, reduced strength and lower confidence with activity.
Recovery can take time, and it’s normal to feel unsure about how much activity is safe.
Respiratory physiotherapy can support your recovery through:
Assessment of lung function and breathing pattern
Airway clearance techniques (if needed)
Inspiratory muscle strength training
Gradual rebuilding of strength and exercise tolerance
Pacing and energy conservation strategies
Support to safely return to daily activities
The aim is to help you rebuild confidence in your breathing and movement, reduce breathlessness and support a steady, safe return to the activities that matter to you.
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It’s normal for your breathing to change to meet demands during exercise. However, it is common for athletes to develop breathing pattern disorders. Feeling as though you are struggling to get a good breath in, tightness in your throat and wheezing are some signs that your breathing may be impacting your performance.
Conditions I work with
Breathing Pattern Disorders/ Dysfunctional Breathing
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It is thought that at least 1 in 10 people will experience a form of breathing pattern disorder at some point in their life.
A breathing pattern disorder generally occurs when your breathing does not align with the requirements of your body. Common presentations are breathing into your upper chest, breathing quickly or breathing through your mouth. Breathing in this way can cause multiple different symptoms which when investigated may have no organic cause, which can feel confusing and frustrating when your symptoms are very real.
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If you’ve been struggling with any of these symptoms but tests have come back negative then they could be being caused by a breathing pattern disorder.
· Air hunger or breathlessness at rest
· Breathlessness during movement or sport that feels disproportionate to activity levels
· Unable to take a deep or satisfying breath in
· Yawning
· Sighing
· Habitual sniffing or throat clearing
· Holding your breath
· Feeling anxious or on edge
· Upset gut or nausea
· Fatigue or unexplained tiredness
· Heart palpitations
· Headaches
· Dizziness
· Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
· Irritability
· Neck or back pain including tension, tightness and soreness
· Pins and needles or ‘tingling’ in lips, fingertips or toes
· Clammy hands
· Achy muscles and joints
· Sleep disturbances
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Its normal for breathing to change depending on the demands your body is facing at the time, for example during exercise or short periods of stress. However, your breathing should return to ‘normal’ after this event. Breathing is influenced by many different factors including physical demands on your body, the way you move and illnesses. As well as this your breathing can also be impacted by your thoughts, feelings and previous experiences.
There are multiple reasons why your breathing may change and a breathing pattern disorder may develop, here are just a few examples:
Stress and anxiety – this causes a fight or flight response which changes your breathing pattern, if periods of stress or anxiety continue then this dysfunctional breathing pattern can become habitual
Excessive training for sport – different sports put varying demands on your body and your breathing
Respiratory conditions – for example COPD, Asthma or Bronchiectasis
Pain and tension – pain can alter your breathing pattern, if this is chronic those breathing patterns could become habitual
Substance use – alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, vaping and other recreational/ non recreational drugs
Post viral conditions or prolonged illness for example long covid
Nasal issues – congestion and structural issues in the nasal passage cause mouth breathing
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Thorough assessment of your breathing pattern to identify any signs of a breathing pattern disorder. Not everyone is the same, everyone will present differently and have different triggers. Therefore, treatment is individualised to address their specific concerns, it is not a one size fits all approach.
Treatment is focused on optimising breathing pattern at rest and finding tools to enable your body to feel calm. Then the focus of treatment changes to incorporate effective breathing patterns into daily movement and activity.
Because Breathing Matters
How Could Respiratory Physiotherapy Help You?
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Breathing Pattern Retraining
Comprehensive assessment of your breathing pattern, including identification of any patterns or triggers that may be affecting your ability to breathe optimally. Education around your breathing pattern and retraining unhelpful breathing patterns to optimise your breathing pattern and health.
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Breathlessness Management
Breathlessness can arise for many reasons and affect people in different ways. Understanding the underlying contributors is an important first step. I will work with you to identify what’s influencing your symptoms and develop personalised strategies to reduce breathlessness and improve confidence with activity.
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Airway Clearance Techniques
During illness or with some long-term conditions, more phlegm is produced in the lungs and can become thicker, stickier and more difficult to clear. This can affect breathing and increase the risk of infection. I work alongside you to choose appropriate airway clearance techniques that suit your body, symptoms, and daily life. This may include breathing exercises, equipment such as positive expiratory devices and hands on treatment.
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Hands on Treatment
Muscle tension, stiffness, and altered movement patterns can contribute to pain and restrict comfortable breathing. Similarly your breathing pattern can cause pain and discomfort in different areas. Hands-on treatments such as dry needling, soft tissue release, and manual therapy may be used to reduce tension, improve mobility, and support more efficient movement and breathing.
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Education
It is important to understand how your respiratory condition or breathing pattern is affecting your body and various symptoms you may be experiencing. I will take the time to explain things in a clear, supportive way, helping you build confidence in your breathing and day-to-day management.
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Respiratory Muscle Strength Training
The muscles involved in breathing e.g. the diaphragm can become weak with illness or reduced use. Improving the strength and endurance of these muscles can improve lung function and cough strength, reduce breathlessness and improve exercise capacity and sporting performance.
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Cough Management
If your cough has become chronic it may be hypersensitive meaning you are coughing even when it is not required. I can assess your cough and provide tailored strategies to identify causes of your irritation, reduce hypersensitivity and support airway health.
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Fatigue Management
Fatigue is a common and often frustrating symptom, particularly with respiratory and long-term health conditions. It can affect your energy, concentration, and ability to do everyday activities. I work with you to understand the factors contributing to your fatigue and develop practical strategies to help manage energy levels and support daily life.
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Exercise
Appropriate exercise plays an important role in respiratory health, strength, and confidence with activity. We provide individualised exercise programs that are safe, achievable, and designed to support your breathing, physical capacity, and everyday function.
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Posture and Movement optimisation
Posture and movement patterns influence how your body and breathing muscles work together. I will review your posture and assess how your breathing changes when you complete movements and work to optimise these to improve posture, reduce strain, and support easier, more effective breathing.
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Nasal Breathing
There are many benefits to breathing through your nose instead of mouth breathing. However this isn’t always possible due to many factors including congestion. I can assess your ability to breathe through your nose and provide tools to improve this or if your specific issue is outside my scope of practice refer on.
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Sports and Activity
If your breathing is holding back your sports or activity performance, optimising your breathing pattern could help. Ensuring that your breathing pattern is optimised at rest to enhance recovery.
Free 15-Minute Phone Call
Not sure if respiratory physiotherapy is right for you?
I offer a free phone call to chat through your breathing concerns and explore whether respiratory physiotherapy may be appropriate for your needs.
No treatment is provided during this call.