Secondly, I was just wondering if anyone has ever been given a flutter device from their physio...if you have one of course.
If so, how have you found it, has it been better than postural drainage or equally as good?!
Have you found that you need to do both forms of physio to get your chest going better?!
By chance, has it improved your lung function also, as im kind of getting a little fed up with constantly having a lung function of 43% or lower.
Thank you all for reading!!
xx
Hi Charlie,
Papworth use the acapella rather than the flutter device, but yes the specialist physios really do promote them as part of respiratory physio - but not used alone, they use them with the active cycle of breathing technique and postural drainage if appropriate.
Im probably the wrong person to ask about efficacy as my lungs are rather abnormal in terms of my lung function is pretty fixed. For me it was about trying to prevent recurrent infection and further deterioration.
Thank you so much for replying and that attachment was a good read, defiantly helped show the alternatives.
I may not even manage to get the flutter device yet, depends on whether the physio team at heartlands can get one in stock for me by the time I have my next appointment at Solihull. If not they have said I could try my gp surgery and get one on prescription but they may not have the funding in my area. I have at last resort thought about getting one myself if no one can fund it but then of course it's being taught the correct way of doing it for me to get the best usage and gunk shifting Ness out of it. But I'm not sure.
Physio at the moment their aim for me at the moment is also to prevent the recurrent infections as this year alone I've had 10 now. So hopefully then if that's what they are saying to you for as well that could be reassuring for me bring the same way. Let's just hope then that if my lungs weren't so gunk filled my lung function may possibly improve...positive thinking hey lol
Thank you so much for replying.
Xx
Hiya Charlie,
Funnily enough I bought my acapella myself (local hospital was pants!) - and then when I went to Papworth they went to give me one! lol they were well impressed that I had already bought one. You will see them at almost every bedside there
One lady I was in hospital with used a flutter not an acapella, because that was what she had always had and was used to. She had bronchiectasis which she was diagnosed with at nine, and was in her late fifties. She used her flutter three times a day with postural drainage (bronchiectasis is a whole different ball game when it comes to the amount of gunk in your lungs!). If you do decide to get your own there is no reason that the physio at heartlands can't show you how to use it, but hopefully you will be able to get one from them directly.
Keep going with that positive thinking
xx
Was the acapella much more expensive than the flutter machine as obviously this will determine which one I would end up purchasing in the long term. As they both sound like they do very similar jobs and are both pretty good at it.
Xx
I can't remember where I got mine from, but you can get the acapella choice from Henleys Medical:
henleysmed.com/sites/defaul... £44.50 without VAT - you will qualify for VAT exemption on this. Its the acapella choice which the specialist physio's use at Papworth with folks.
A study done comparing the two concluded: Acapella and Flutter have similar performance characteristics. Acapella’s performance is not gravity-dependent (ie, dependent on device orientation) and may be easier to use for some patients, particularly at low expiratory flows.
xx
That's really interesting to know, the comparison that is!!
If I don't get a flutter next week from Brum, then I may invest in the acapella instead then, especially as I do have poor expiratory flow.
Thank you for that website, that's great, never heard of that company before.
Xx
Just thought I would update you all, I went to heartlands yesterday and physio were mega pleased with how I've been getting on daily, also they have managed to purchase me a flutter device and have taught me how to do it and were also surprised with how well I was able to do it first time round so I will keep it going in the hope my lungs will alter. Thank you all for replying when I first posted.
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