Paediatric Physiotherapy for colds

Winter is approaching and it’s a time when we see a lot of our little kiddies going down with the sniffles. Upper respiratory tract infections irritate the airways and causes mucus to be secreted.

 

This can lead to an irritable cough and runny noses, which can result in more serious chest conditions. Babies are restless and don’t sleep well, which can become quite a stressful time for parents.

Chest physiotherapy for these babies and children helps to move the mucus to the middle airways and with special techniques we assist them to cough and clear the mucus, which in turn improves lung function and breathing. This enables the antibiotics to work quickly and babies heal faster. With a clear chest and easier breathing sleeping is no trouble!

So, what are the techniques? One of the most common, Cupping, is used alongside positioning of the infant depending where the most mucus is trapped. Cupping is gentle but firm patting of the chest wall with a cupped hand. This is not painful to the child but causes a vibration within the chest which helps the mucus to slide along to be easily coughed out. Nebulisation can be used before the start of treatment to help further loosen the mucus and open the airways. Our nebuliser is very quiet, quick and gets deep into the lung, which is child friendly and efficient.

 

Written By:

Amy Belbin

Physiotherapist