The Successful Treatment of Diseases of the Respiratory Tract by Continuous Postural Drainage and the Prevention Thereby of Recurrent and Chronic Affections

Resolution of attacks of inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract under certain conditions, such as the severity of the infection and/or the lack of resistance of the patient, may be incomplete.

In this way a greater or lesser degree of permanent damage to lungs may be brought about which tends to increase the patient's susceptibility to a recurrence of the attacks with the liability to progressive increase of the damage. As a sequel to such recurrences the pulmonary damage will, in some cases, tend to reach sooner or later, and often sooner, the irreversible states of pulmonary fibrosis and bronchiectasis. Experience of the treatment of such patients by continuous postural drainage over various periods extending up to 18 years has shown that not only will early resolution of such lesions thereby be promoted but the tendency to recurrence or chronicity of the disease can be at least largely and frequently entirely prevented. Such success in prevention may be obtained even in comparatively late stages in the progress of the disease. Achievement of such results, however, will depend essentially on the adequacy of the application of the treatment and may involve in the case of old established disease its continuation for the rest of the patient's life. However, even in such cases, once complete and lasting freedom from all symptoms has been achieved it may prove satisfactory to the patient to omit the treatment provided prompt renewal is made on the slightest warning of return of the symptoms or on the advent of any respiratory infection however slight.

Bronchial asthma, even when not obviously associated with an infective state can be rapidly eliminated if the treatment is applied in the earlier stages, and even in life time sufferers most satisfactory results can still be achieved with every reasonable prospect of their obtaining ultimately complete freedom from all symptoms.

All the available evidence suggests that such relief is brought about by facilitating, by means of the appropriate posture, the outward flow of secretions which otherwise tend to accumulate through physical difficulties hindering their evacuation.

As most of the treatment must always be carried out in the home the informed co-operation of the family physician is an essential pre-requisite towards the achievement of the best results.