With the advent of evidence-based clinical practice, there is no longer a place for routine
cardiopulmonary physiotherapy. The ‘recipe’ approach to physiotherapy treatment is no
longer acceptable. A treatment choice should be based upon several key steps; a thorough
analytical assessment, the identification of specific pathophysiological problems followed by
the application of clinical reasoning to select an appropriate physiotherapeutic intervention. It
should be remembered that assessment is a continuing process, performed before, during
and after any treatment.