Chest physical therapy (CPT or Chest PT) is an airway clearance technique (ACT) to drain the lungs, and may include percussion (clapping), vibration, deep breathing, and huffing or coughing.
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Coughing is the most basic airway clearance technique (ACT). It can be an involuntary reflex or it can be controlled as a healthy, natural way for the lungs to get rid of mucus.
Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy gets air into the lungs and behind the mucus using extra (collateral) airways.
Bronchodilators may widen airways by helping the surrounding muscles relax. This could allow more air to travel through the airways, which may help other medications work more effectively.
When our daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, all I could think about was walking into that first CF clinic appointment and walking out with “the vest.” Although transitioning to the vest was the change I feared the most, it's been a welcome change to our once-difficult routine.
High-frequency chest wall oscillation involves an inflatable vest that is attached to a machine. The machine mechanically performs chest physical therapy by vibrating at a high frequency. The vest vibrates the chest to loosen and thin