chest pt

Chest Physical Therapy

Chest physical therapy (Chest PT) is a manual physical therapy technique used for airway passage clearance. It consist of percussion, vibration, deep breathing and coughing. The technique is used to create a productive cough to clear mucus and fluid from the five lobes of the lungs. Chest PT can be used for various diagnosis such as flu, cold, asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, chronic obstruction pulmonary disease (COPD), neurological disorders, or bed bound persons.

The two main techniques are percussion and vibration. Percussion is done by slightly cupping the hand and clapping against the chest wall. Having the hand cupped provides comfort and less of a slapping sensation. Vibration is performed by gently shaking the chest wall with a flattened hand to loosen the mucus from the lungs. Person is placed in various positions to allow postural drainage to assist with the production of mucus. Each technique is then followed by attempting a productive cough to expel the mucus.

Our clinic provides manual chest therapy for all ages and we highly recommend this treatment for cold and flu season to prevent pneumonia and other complications from congestion.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Chest Physical Therapy. Retrieved from https://www.cff.org/Life-With-CF/Treatments-and-Therapies/Airway-Clearance/Chest-Physical-Therapy/