Vibrotherapy in respiratory disorders, including COVID­19

ABSTRACT

Successfully used for years in the rehabilitation of various diseases, the techniques of manual vibration massage and therapeutic vibrations generated by medical devices distinguish a new type of physical therapy – vibrotherapy. Therapeutic vibration stimulates blood and lymph circulation, the neuromuscular system, and, in the form of respiratory vibration therapy, helps clear airways of secretions and strengthens respiratory muscles, improving tissue oxygenation in patients with cystic fibrosis and, more recently, in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). Although the use of respiratory vibration therapy is well established in cystic fibrosis, it has yet to be sufficiently studied in other pulmonary disorders, and since the clinical potential of respiratory vibration therapy is broad, the authors of this literature review wish to point out that it should not be neglected. Particularly in automated form during pandemic times, as in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic –hindering rehabilitation services, quarantine isolations – respiratory vibration therapy can be crucial in rehabilitation, enriching both hospital and home physiotherapy offers. © 2021, DJ Studio. All rights reserved.