Postural Drainage

Postural drainage is an airway clearance technique that, along with chest percussion and vibration, helps patients with respiratory illnesses like COPD clear mucus from their lungs.

The following diagrams show a variety of postural drainage positions that are meant to facilitate drainage from each specific segment of the lung. In each picture, the shaded black dots demonstrate the place where your caregiver should apply chest percussion (a clapping movement that is performed with cupped hands) and vibration (a vibrating movement done with flat hands).