Chest Physical Therapy
Definition
Chest physical therapy is the term for a group of treatments designed to improve respiratory efficiency, promote expansion of the lungs, strengthen respiratory muscles, and eliminate secretions from the respiratory system.
Purpose
The purpose of chest physical therapy, also called chest physiotherapy, is to help patients breathe more freely and to get more oxygen into the body. Chest physical therapy includes postural drainage, chest percussion, chest vibration, turning, deep breathing exercises, and coughing. In the early 2000s, some newer devices, such as the positive expiratory pressure (PEP) valve and the flutter device, have been added to the various chest physical therapy techniques. Chest physical therapy is normally done in conjunction with other treatments to rid the...
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