Chest physiotherapy

Optimum respiratory health is not possible without clearing secretions in the airway. Normally, a healthy person can get rid of these secretions in two ways: (1) mucociliary clearance system and (2) coughing. However, presence of diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy, dystrophy of the muscles and immunodeficiency, can cause poor lung health and inability to clear out excretions. Inability to clear the lungs of these discharges can lead to complications and causes an individual to experience difficulty of breathing. When breathing becomes a hard work it can lead to inflammatory episodes, respiratory infections, increase mucus production and worst airway obstruction. This is where chest physiotherapy comes in. It helps in minimizing the risks of ineffective airway clearance due to obstruction. Description Chest physiotherapy, also known as chest physical therapy, is a group of techniques that mobilizes or loosens thick secretions in the lungs and respiratory tract. It includes postural drainage, chest percussion and vibration, coughing and deep breathing exercises. Purpose Performing chest physical therapy techniques expand the lungs, strengthen the muscles used for breathing, thereby improving lung function and helping one breath better. It helps treat patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Post-operatively, it helps in keeping lungs clear from thick secretions preventing pneumonia. Performing the techniq...

Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated for patients in whom cough is insufficient to clear thick, tenacious, copious, or loculated secretions ( General references Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated... read more ). Examples include patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is airflow limitation caused by an inflammatory response to inhaled toxins, often cigarette smoke. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and various occupational... read more (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), in certain clinical situations ( General references Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated... read more ) • In postural drainage and chest percussion, the patient is rotated to facilitate drainage of secretions from a specific lung lobe or segment while being clapped with cupped hands to loosen and mobilize retained secretions that can then be expectorated or drained. The procedure is somewhat uncomfortable and tiring for the patient. Alternatives to chest percussi...

If you have any of these symptoms, check in with your healthcare provider right away. They can assess your condition and make a diagnosis of costochondritis while ruling out more serious problems. Usually, costochondritis comes on after trauma, intense physical strain, or with arthritis. Sometimes it appears for no apparent reason. Your therapist can get an idea of the severity of your costochondritis during the history-taking portion of the evaluation. More severe cases cause significant limitations in breathing and changing positions; mild cases may cause some pain, but functional mobility may not be affected to a great extent. After your physical therapist takes your history, they will perform several tests and measures to get an idea of what impairments may be causing your costochondritis. Common tests and measures may include: • • • Strength measurements • Flexibility measures • Rib mobility • Spinal mobility in the neck, mid back, and low back • Pulmonary function and breathing assessment After your therapist performs an examination, they should have enough information to determine the root cause of your costochondritis and can start treatment. A plan of care will be discussed with you, and goals for rehab for your chest pain will be set. Costochondritis Physical Therapy Physical therapy for costochondritis involves helping you manage your pain, decreasing inflammation, and improving the way you move to relieve pressure off inflamed rib cartilage. Most people with co...

Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. Advanced Search: • Use “ “ for phrases o [ “pediatric abdominal pain” ] • Use – to remove results with certain terms o [ “abdominal pain” –pediatric ] • Use OR to account for alternate terms o [teenager OR adolescent ] Search A-Z In postural drainage, the person is tilted or propped at an angle selected to help drain secretions from the lungs. The chest or back may also be clapped with a cupped hand to help loosen secretions—a technique called chest percussion. Alternatively, the therapist may use a mechanical chest vibrator or a high-frequency chest oscillator (an inflatable vest that vibrates at high frequency to loosen sputum). The therapist may teach a family member how to use one of these devices. These techniques are used at intervals on people who have conditions that cause a great deal of sputum to be produced, for example Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes certain glands to produce abnormally thick secretions, resulting in tissue and organ damage, especially in the lungs and the digestive tract... read more , Bronchiectasis Bronchiectasis is an irreversible widening (dilation) of portions of the breathing tubes or airways (bronchi) resulting from damage to the airway wall. The most common cause is severe or repeated... read more (irreversible widening of the airways), or sometimes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary d...

Chest Physiotherapy (CPT) is an airway clearance technique that typically involves the assistance of another individual (e.g., caregiver, trained family member, or respiratory therapist) to manually perform chest percussion on a patient’s chest wall. Chest percussion is defined as manually clapping on a person’s chest wall in an effort to break up mucus and prevent buildup. For this technique to be effective, however, clapping must be performed in a repeated and rhythmic beat sequence in order to create vibrations that help move mucus from the smaller airways to larger ones, where it is more easily coughed out [1]. Chest physiotherapy (also referred to as chest physical therapy ) describes not one but a group of treatments designed to help patients improve respiratory function and prevent airway obstruction [2]. For instance, chest physical therapy is often accompanied by vibrations (also used to help dislodge mucus) and postural drainage . Postural drainage is a technique that relies on gravity to help patients drain mucus from different areas of the lungs into the mouth. By combining chest percussion with vibrations and postural drainage , these techniques work together to help break up and move mucus upward, where it’s easier to expel from your airways. Chest Physiotherapy 101 As with any new treatment, you may have questions on how this type of therapy works, whether or not it’s effective, and how you can incorporate it into your routine—without it affecting your lifes...

Review question Is chest physiotherapy effective and safe as a supportive treatment for adults with pneumonia? Background Pneumonia is one of the most common health problems affecting all age groups around the world. Antibiotics represent the mainstay of pneumonia treatment, whilst some other supportive therapies, such as supplementary oxygen, might also be beneficial in improving patient outcomes. Chest physiotherapy, an airway clearance technique, has been widely used as a supportive therapy for pneumonia in adults without reliable evidence. Search date The evidence is current to May 2022. Study characteristics We included eight studies involving a total of 974 participants. We included two new studies (540 participants) in this update. All studies included hospitalised patients. The studies looked at five types of chest physiotherapy, namely conventional chest physiotherapy (manual handling techniques to help clear sputum), active cycle of breathing techniques (a set of breathing exercises to help clear sputum), osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) (a therapeutic application of manually guided forces by a physiotherapist to improve respiratory function and sputum clearance), positive expiratory pressure (use of a device that increases airflow resistance to improve sputum clearance), and high-frequency chest wall oscillation (chest wall vibration with a specialised device to promote sputum clearance). Key results 1. Death Conventional chest physiotherapy, OMT, and hi...

Review question Is chest physiotherapy effective and safe as a supportive treatment for adults with pneumonia? Background Pneumonia is one of the most common health problems affecting all age groups around the world. Antibiotics represent the mainstay of pneumonia treatment, whilst some other supportive therapies, such as supplementary oxygen, might also be beneficial in improving patient outcomes. Chest physiotherapy, an airway clearance technique, has been widely used as a supportive therapy for pneumonia in adults without reliable evidence. Search date The evidence is current to May 2022. Study characteristics We included eight studies involving a total of 974 participants. We included two new studies (540 participants) in this update. All studies included hospitalised patients. The studies looked at five types of chest physiotherapy, namely conventional chest physiotherapy (manual handling techniques to help clear sputum), active cycle of breathing techniques (a set of breathing exercises to help clear sputum), osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) (a therapeutic application of manually guided forces by a physiotherapist to improve respiratory function and sputum clearance), positive expiratory pressure (use of a device that increases airflow resistance to improve sputum clearance), and high-frequency chest wall oscillation (chest wall vibration with a specialised device to promote sputum clearance). Key results 1. Death Conventional chest physiotherapy, OMT, and hi...

Enter search terms to find related medical topics, multimedia and more. Advanced Search: • Use “ “ for phrases o [ “pediatric abdominal pain” ] • Use – to remove results with certain terms o [ “abdominal pain” –pediatric ] • Use OR to account for alternate terms o [teenager OR adolescent ] Search A-Z In postural drainage, the person is tilted or propped at an angle selected to help drain secretions from the lungs. The chest or back may also be clapped with a cupped hand to help loosen secretions—a technique called chest percussion. Alternatively, the therapist may use a mechanical chest vibrator or a high-frequency chest oscillator (an inflatable vest that vibrates at high frequency to loosen sputum). The therapist may teach a family member how to use one of these devices. These techniques are used at intervals on people who have conditions that cause a great deal of sputum to be produced, for example Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that causes certain glands to produce abnormally thick secretions, resulting in tissue and organ damage, especially in the lungs and the digestive tract... read more , Bronchiectasis Bronchiectasis is an irreversible widening (dilation) of portions of the breathing tubes or airways (bronchi) resulting from damage to the airway wall. The most common cause is severe or repeated... read more (irreversible widening of the airways), or sometimes Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary d...

If you have any of these symptoms, check in with your healthcare provider right away. They can assess your condition and make a diagnosis of costochondritis while ruling out more serious problems. Usually, costochondritis comes on after trauma, intense physical strain, or with arthritis. Sometimes it appears for no apparent reason. Your therapist can get an idea of the severity of your costochondritis during the history-taking portion of the evaluation. More severe cases cause significant limitations in breathing and changing positions; mild cases may cause some pain, but functional mobility may not be affected to a great extent. After your physical therapist takes your history, they will perform several tests and measures to get an idea of what impairments may be causing your costochondritis. Common tests and measures may include: • • • Strength measurements • Flexibility measures • Rib mobility • Spinal mobility in the neck, mid back, and low back • Pulmonary function and breathing assessment After your therapist performs an examination, they should have enough information to determine the root cause of your costochondritis and can start treatment. A plan of care will be discussed with you, and goals for rehab for your chest pain will be set. Costochondritis Physical Therapy Physical therapy for costochondritis involves helping you manage your pain, decreasing inflammation, and improving the way you move to relieve pressure off inflamed rib cartilage. Most people with co...

Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated for patients in whom cough is insufficient to clear thick, tenacious, copious, or loculated secretions ( General references Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated... read more ). Examples include patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is airflow limitation caused by an inflammatory response to inhaled toxins, often cigarette smoke. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and various occupational... read more (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), in certain clinical situations ( General references Chest physiotherapy consists of external mechanical maneuvers, such as chest percussion, postural drainage, and vibration, to augment mobilization and clearance of airway secretions. It is indicated... read more ) • In postural drainage and chest percussion, the patient is rotated to facilitate drainage of secretions from a specific lung lobe or segment while being clapped with cupped hands to loosen and mobilize retained secretions that can then be expectorated or drained. The procedure is somewhat uncomfortable and tiring for the patient. Alternatives to chest percussi...