Chest Percussion
Chest Percussion for Chest Physical Therapy
The purpose of Chest Percussion is to break up thick secretions caused by respiratory infections. Chest Percussion consists of deliberate hitting motions or vibrations.
Chest Percussion is used to treat patients with Cystic Fibrosis and others with such lung diseases as Bronchitis, Pneumonia, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
A common therapeutic daily amount of Chest Percussion for treating COPD is 1 to 2 sessions a day.
Chest Percussion for treating COPD may be performed for use in the home by an individual on themselves or by parents on children or for use in a clinic or hospital by physical therapists, respiratory therapists, or nurses.
Chest Physical Therapy (CPT) for Cystic Fibrosis treatment combines postural drainage with Chest Percussion. Postural drainage positions recommended for Chest Physical Therapy consist of lying, sitting or standing in a way that the segment of the lung to be drained is uppermost on the patient’s body. This method uses gravity to move the congestion from the lungs up to the throat.
As a treatment for Cystic Fibrosis or other diseases, Chest Percussion is applied over the ribs to stimulate coughing. Care is given to avoid percussing over the spine, breastbone or lower back to avoid injury to internal organs.
Chest Percussion for Chest Physical Therapy to treat Cystic Fibrosis and other diseases can be performed by hand or with the aid of electrical and non-electrical percussors and vibrators which are less tiring than by hand.
The amount of force for Cystic Fibrosis treatment applied to the chest can vary widely with the hand offering gentle tapping compared to electrical and mechanical devices which can provide a wide range force from tapping to hammering, depending on need.
To learn about the differences in power created by devices for treating Cystic Fibrosis, Med Systems conducted Comparative Pulse Forces Tests on the Electro Flo® 5000 and the Fluid Flo® 2500 by Med Systems and the Flimm-Fighter and Vibracare by G5. These tests show definitively that the Electro Flo® 5000 and the Fluid Flo® 2500 provide significantly more pulse force than the Flimm-Fighter or the Vibracare.
The strongest, the Electro Flo® 5000, could reach up to 35 lbs of pulse force compared to 19.0 lbs for the Fluid Flo® 2500 the maximum of 13.75 lbs for the Flimm-Fighter or 11.75 lbs for the Vibracare. When Chest Percussion is needed for Chest Physical Therapy when treating Cystic Fibrosis, the Fluid Flo® 2500 and the Electro Flo® 5000 offer the greatest range and power.