Chest Physiotherapy for Treating Bronchiectasis
Bronchiectasis is an uncommon and incurable disease that causes the airways or bronchial tubes of the lungs to widen and become flabby. Bronchiectasis is caused by infections or other conditions that destroy the smooth muscles that surround the bronchial tubes and prevents the airways from clearing mucus. The goal of treatment for bronchiectasis is to control the secretions and prevent infections.
Bronchiectasis is a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) that can be brought on by cystic fibrosis, among other things. Treatment of bronchiectasis may include antibiotics, use of inhaled steroids, oxygen supplementation, and coughing to help clear the airways.
Airway clearance through Chest Physiotherapy to induce coughing can be an important part of treatment for bronchiectasis. 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 bronchiectasis consists of deliberate hitting motions or vibrations.
Postural drainage positions recommended for Chest Physiotherapy when treating bronchiectasis 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 bronchiectasis 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 for treating bronchiectasis 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 bronchiectasis, 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 bronchiectasis, the Fluid Flo® 2500 and the Electro Flo® 5000 offers the greatest range and power.
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