Postural Drainage Therapy also known as Chest physiotherapy (CPT)

Have you had one of those moments where you tried to speak and all that came out was a squeak?

Or a time where you just couldn’t clear your throat without a bottle of water? Well, that’s because you have access sticky mucus that has built up and is currently covering parts of your chest.

Postural Drainage Therapy uses gravity and percussion clapping on the chest and/or back to loosen the thick, sticky mucus in the lungs so it can be removed by coughing. Unclogging the airways is key to keeping lungs healthy.

Did you know your lungs consist of 5 lobes, 3 on your right and 2 on your left and at the moment you’re not clearing the right part, but with the help of professional advice and guidance we can help you get rid of that access layer of mucus, keeping you breathing smoothly and staying healthy without coughing unblocking your airways.

Postural Drainage Therapy involves a combination of techniques, including multiple positions to drain the lungs, percussion, vibration, deep breathing, and coughing. Make sure you have an empty stomach. If you need to cough, sit up and do controlled coughing.

Follow these steps for postural drainage from home:

Lie down on a bed or the floor. Use pillows to help you with different positions.

To drain the front of your lungs:

• Lie on your back.
• Make sure that your chest is lower than your hips.
• Put two pillows under your hips.
• Use a small pillow under your head.
• Keep your arms at your sides.
• Then follow these instructions for breathing:
• With one hand on your belly and the other on your chest, breathe in.
• Push your belly out as far as possible.
• You should be able to feel the hand on your belly move out, while the hand on your chest should not move.
• When you breathe out, you should be able to feel the hand on your belly move in.
• This is called belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.
• You will use it in the other drainage positions too.

To drain the sides of your lungs:

• Do this step as you lie on one side.
• Then turn over, and do it on the other side.
• Place two or three pillows under your hips.
• Use a small pillow under your head.
• Make sure your chest is lower than your hips.
• Use belly breathing.

After 5 or 10 minutes, switch sides.

To drain the back of your lungs:

• Lie on your stomach.
• Place two or three pillows under your hips. Use a small pillow under your head.
• Place your arms by your head.
• Use belly breathing.

These positions will help drain the clogged parts of your lungs to a position that you can cough it out. Feel free to use this until you feel your chest clearing, but if you still feel clogged, we advise you to visit a physiotherapist for a proper session on working out that unwanted access of mucus.