Are you looking for procedures related to chest physiotherapy at home? If yes, then let us tell you that you are in the right place. Because here, we will discuss some detailed information about chest physiotherapy and how you may perform it at home? So don't wait now. Let's start the discussion.
Chest Physiotherapy
Chest physiotherapy consists of many physical activities performed to improve lung function, making you breathe healthfully. Chest physiotherapy can be called Chest PT or CPT. The primary purpose of this physiotherapy is to strengthen breathing muscles and enhance the lungs area to improve the thick secretion of lungs. Moreover, it also helps to fight cystic fibrosis and pneumonia because of immobility and surgery. In short, you can say that it is primarily used to treat respiratory diseases.
Types of Chest Physiotherapy
Following are the types of Chest physiotherapy that physiotherapists use;
- Chest percussion and vibration: This procedure is based on wearing a CPT vest that is vibrated at a breakneck speed for breaking the lung's secretion.
- Controlled coughing techniques: This technique is also used for breaking up lung secretions.
- Deep breathing exercises: This exercise helps to expand the lung area, and every cell of the lung can get air.
- Incentive spirometry: This procedure involves the vital inhaling of air by a particular device. This procedure is commonly used as chest physiotherapy for pneumonia as you may use it after surgery or prevent pneumonia.
- Positioning and turning from side to side: Chest physiotherapy's position matters a lot in determining their benefits. It helps in making the drainage of lung and lung expansion better. This is beneficial for hospitalized or bedridden patients.
- Postural drainage: It helps in draining lung secretions.
Other procedures related to Chest Physiotherapy
Usually, doctors take more than one route for treating respiratory diseases. The type of physiotherapy and treatment depends on the intensity of your respiratory condition, age, and medical history. Well, the medications or treatments for physiotherapy may be;
- Expectorant medications: It makes coughing easier through the loosening of lung secretion.
- Nebulizer treatments: It keeps the secretions moist and opens the air pathways.
- Suctioning: It helps to eliminate those secretions which cannot be removed through coughing.
Need to perform Chest Physiotherapy
Now, we will discuss some conditions when there is a need to perform chest physiotherapy.
- Atelectasis: This condition happens when most of the lung tissues get collapsed.
- Bronchiectasis: In this disease, the larger airway of your lung gets infected or damaged.
- COPD: COPD is called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is also called chronic bronchitis
- Cystic fibrosis: It is a genetic disorder that creates sticky and thick mucus inside the lungs and other organs.
- Immobility: When your body has a low activity level, such as moving with the help of a wheelchair or bedridden, then it may prevent breathing problems due to long-term immobility.
- Lung infections: There can be lung infections such as lung abcess, acute bronchitis, or pneumonia.
- Neuromuscular disease: These diseases include muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, Guillain-barre syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.
- Surgery: Surgeries that make breathing complex or lung removal; chest physiotherapy can be effective during those times.
Specialists of Chest Physiotherapy
If you think that who can perform chest physiotherapy, then here are those specialists.
- Hospitalists: Hospitalists have a specialization in caring for hospitalized patients. Hospitalists are usually nurses, practitioners, or physician assistants.
- Pulmonologists: Pulmonologists are the pediatrician or internists specializing in treating conditions such as asthma, tuberculosis, emphysema, pneumonia, and other complicated chest functions.
- Primary care providers: These specialists include family medicine doctors or other healthcare providers who may help treat illnesses. They have specialization in several lung physiotherapy exercises.
Chest Physiotherapy at Home
Now, it's time to discuss chest physiotherapy at home as we know that COVID is spreading among everyone these days. So in these situations, you may choose chest physiotherapy for COVID at home. Apart from COVID, you may use it for other respiratory problems at home. So let's start discussing its procedure which you may do at home to perform chest physiotherapy.
- A straightforward method to do chest physiotherapy is to clap on the lower side of ribs under the nipple area on the patient's front side. Now make the patient up from the right side and raise overhead its right arm. Now clap on the lower chest under the nipples are on the right side of the chest. You may perform it on a child or someone who is having respiratory issues at a minor level.
- The second option can be chest percussion which is done by striking the chest wall through cupped hands. This technique is often combined with postural drainage. The patient gets the best results through this procedure. You may perform it on your own for your family members. Youtube tutorials are also available for this.
- Another technique that can be done at home is controlled coughing techniques. In this technique, you have to do coughing gently, such as making out short grunting noises or creating two to three sharp staccato coughs by having your mouth slightly open.
- Chest physiotherapy for COVID-19 involves an active cycle of breathing techniques, percussion, and vibrations, forced expiratory technique, and positive expiratory pressure therapy. These interventions are highly effective in treating respiratory issues because of COVID-19. You can learn their specific procedures through watching their youtube tutorials.
Potential complications and Risks of Chest Physiotherapy
Following are some potential complications or risks which you may get from chest physiotherapy.
- Bleeding in the lungs
- Secretions are being inhaled inside the lungs.
- Low blood pressure
- Vomiting
- Spine or rib injury
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Increased pressure in the head
If you or anyone of your loved ones may experience the above symptoms, then you may ask your practitioner to handle these symptoms. And you may take medicines for this.
Ending notes
So this was all about chest physiotherapy at home. We hope you find this content helpful, and we have solved all of your queries related to chest physiotherapy at home. Furthermore, if you face any problem regarding respiratory issues, then do consult with its specialists.
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