Pulmonary rehabilitation between a past in shadows and a bright future

During the last century numerous data and innovative ideas regarding pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) have accumulated worldwide, coupled with the development of an arsenal of new techniques for investigating and evaluating the respiratory function. It is an important advance in modern medicine and a concern for an expanding pathology. In parallel with humanity's efforts to modernize, aiming for a high degree of civilization, the pathology is also growing. With the industrialization and urbanization of lifestyle, the human body, and especially the respiratory system, is subject to risk factors that are ever growing in harm.