Numerous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of chest physiotherapy (CPT) for clearing mucus deposits out of the lungs.1
CPT involves strategically clapping on areas of the lung with excess mucus to release pressure and create cushioned hands to cushion impact and mitigate injuries.
Percussion
COPD and cystic fibrosis can both result in significant mucus accumulation, making breathing difficult for patients. Percussion therapy is one effective solution to help clear away this sticky secretion; strategically clapping on chest and back shakes loose the mucus from deep airways into large ones. Percussion may also be combined with postural drainage or pharmaceutical secretion management such as inhaled medication for optimal results.
Percussion in adults may be performed using either fingers from one hand, the palm and thumb of another hand or with an instrument known as a percussor; infants often perform it with all four hands at once. No percussion should ever be performed over areas containing vital organs like spine, breastbone (sternum), abdomen or abdominal cavity – rather it should focus on upper and lower ribs especially those in close proximity to upper lobes of lung tissue.
Percussion creates a sound similar to playing drums, with its quality reflecting what type of tissue or organ it is striking upon in the body. Lungs produce a resonant hollow sound when struck while bones and joints produce dull noises while livers produce gritty or stony-sounds when touched – this information can be valuable to physiotherapists when determining what treatment options will help clear secretions from patients’ systems.
Although percussion may be uncomfortable, its force from physiotherapist’s hand is not as great as might appear. Therapists should avoid using their entire hand but instead cup their fingers so as to create an air cushion between fingers and skin – this helps patients tolerate higher levels of percussion with reduced pain levels.
G5 percussion devices offer a solution to practitioner fatigue for therapists by eliminating manual techniques, like clapping, but still provide oscillating vibrations necessary to mobilize secretions and mobilize chest wall, lower back, ribs and shoulders simultaneously. Furthermore, their unique striking action provides superior movement of sputum and respiratory secretions leading to reduced pharmaceutical use and greater effectiveness in managing respiratory health conditions.
Vibration
Vibration is a form of mechanical energy that causes objects to oscillate up and down and side to side, with potential benefits including strengthening muscles and bones, improving balance and coordination, stimulating secretion of hormones that promote muscle growth and healing and stimulating muscle-growth hormone secretions. While previously utilized only for physical therapy purposes, researchers have now discovered how vibration therapy may also help treat other health conditions including bronchiectasis.
Chest vibrators produce vibrations that cause your muscles to contract and expand, as well as dilate blood vessels for improved circulation. This action helps reduce pain, increase mobility, improve breathing quality, as well as decrease inflammation and swelling.
As part of their space program, astronauts experienced bone loss and muscle weakness; researchers discovered that vibrational therapy could prevent this condition by strengthening both bones and muscles. Additionally, chest vibrators vibrations cause endogenous muscle contractions similar to aerobic exercise, helping people with bronchiectasis lose weight by stimulating human growth hormone release.
A 2022 University of Pittsburgh study investigated how vibration can influence athletic recovery following exercise. They discovered that local vibration may stimulate muscle spindles, sending signals back to your brain about how your muscles are contracting and stretching; using this data can allow it to calculate an appropriate force amount to maintain muscle strength over time.
Airway Amplification (AA), another local vibration therapy, may aid secretion clearance for those living with non-CF bronchiectasis. A hand-held vibration device placed on either your chest or back produces a clapping-like sensation which helps separate mucus from lung walls and move it up into large airways; vibrations may be combined with coughing to clear away mucus more effectively from your lungs.
One potential concern of vibration therapy is whether it will interfere with the functionality of a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED), such as a pacemaker or ICD, by applying direct pressure to the chest wall. A recent prospective study on patients who received two different CPT protocols did not find evidence of noise sensing or electromagnetic interference (EMI) at either of their implant sites for either protocol; additionally, post-CPT device interrogation revealed significantly decreased atrial sensing amplitude after receiving their second protocol CPT treatment.
Huff Cough
Huff coughing is a breathing technique often combined with percussion and vibration therapy to loosen and drain mucus from the lungs. It involves taking a deep breath in, exhaling quickly out, then focusing on abdominal muscles when exhaling again – less intensive than traditional coughing but perhaps more effective at breaking up sticky phlegm that doesn’t respond to other forms of airway clearance methods.
Studies into the effectiveness of huff cough have demonstrated its power to enhance lung function by helping remove trapped pathogens in people living with chronic respiratory conditions, such as COPD or cystic fibrosis. Mucus clearing helps maintain a balanced microbiome in your lungs which may become disrupted when disease processes increase pathogen presence.
Huff cough performed with a chest vibration therapy machine can also help alleviate fatigue and improve sleep, both of which are common challenges among those living with chronic respiratory conditions. Furthermore, this technique can be combined with other airway clearance methods to promote stronger cough responses and more robust cough response rates.
Therapists can demonstrate the appropriate technique of huff cough for those suffering from conditions that make breathing more difficult, such as COPD or cystic fibrosis, such as COPD or cystic fibrosis. Furthermore, they may provide advice regarding frequency of performing it to maximize its benefits.
The huff cough method is similar to manual chest physiotherapy (CPT), in that therapists or caregivers manually clap against different chest wall positions in different ways, but unlike CPT it takes significantly less time and energy each day.
Utilizing a chest vibration therapy device like the SmartVest Airway Clearance System, you can perform huff cough using a vest that produces consistent frequency vibrating pulses that evenly cover 360-degree chest coverage. These pulses work to thin airway mucus and propel it upward for easier coughing sessions.
To perform a huff cough, sit up with your back straight and your mouth open. Breathe in deeply before exhaling quickly focusing on abdominal muscles to force air out vigorously through forceful exhalations; try making this sound like “huff” rather than wheeze to ensure maximum benefit from this technique. Do this two or three times before giving one last FORCED HUF COUGH for expectoration purposes.
Postural Drainage
Postural drainage helps clear excess mucus from the lungs through techniques like percussion, vibration, coughing and deep breathing. A medical professional can teach both you and your caregiver how to perform these exercises safely and correctly. Postural drainage may be combined with other respiratory therapies in order to clear away effusions (accumulations of fluid).
Lungs consist of five lobes located on either side of the chest cavity. Each lobe is divided into several segments for easier breathing, and postural drainage aims to drain specific lung segments by pushing mucus downward into larger airways to be coughed up more easily.
This technique involves having a caregiver lightly clap their hands over the chest wall area, just above the lower left and right ribcages. Care must be taken to avoid breastbone, stomach and backbone when performing this technique; only the chest area should be clapped upon. Clapping should not be painful but instead may produce an audible hollow or popping sound when done on its own. A person can also perform it themselves by massaging or patting over this area.
One can be drained by using various positions, from sitting in a chair or lying on their side over an exercise ball (prone position) to tilted into various semi Fowler’s and Trendelenburg positions in order to drain each lung segment. Each time drainage techniques are employed, taking deep breaths can stimulate secretions to be released from within their bodies.
Percussion may be used during each of these positions to loosen secretions more rapidly, while vibration can be achieved by shaking their ribs with either their hand or specially designed vest. Percussion and vibration should be avoided by those recovering from spinal cord injury, recent surgery or an operation where their lungs were recently opened up.
Regular coughing and percussion/vibration exercises should be conducted at regular intervals to clear away excess fluid in your lungs, which could otherwise lead to more serious health conditions like pneumonia. Regular airway clearance helps break this vicious cycle of infection, inflammation and mucus production.
