Treatment For COPD
Chest Physiotherapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) consists of a group of "progressive" lung diseases that block airflow during exhalation, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. COPD is considered progressive because it worsens over time. COPD is a leading cause of death and illness worldwide.
The main conditions that constitute COPD are emphysema and asthmatic or chronic bronchitis. With emphysema, the walls of the air sacs are damaged and become floppy or lose their shape, so the gas exchange of the lungs is reduced. With chronic bronchitis, the lining of the airways is constantly irritated and inflamed and thick mucus forms in the airways, making it hard to breathe. Most people who need COPD treatment have both emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Because mucus formation can breed bacteria and lead to lung infections, such as pneumonia, airway clearance through Chest Physiotherapy is an important part of COPD treatment. Chest Physiotherapy (CPT), also called Chest Physical Therapy, combines postural drainage with Chest Percussion. The purpose of CPT is to break up thick secretions caused by respiratory infections. Chest Percussion for treating COPD consists of deliberate hitting motions or vibrations.
Postural drainage positions recommended for Chest Physiotherapy when treating COPD 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.
CPT to treat COPD 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 applied to the chest to treat COPD 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 COPD, 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 bby 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 in treating COPD, the Fluid Flo® 2500 and the Electro Flo® 5000 offer the greatest range and power.