CPMA Physical Therapy (PT) Practice Test

Gravity-assisted drainage focuses on moving mucus from specific lung segments into the larger airways for expectoration. This means the technique targets particular regions of the lungs, not the entire lungs at once. By positioning the body so that a chosen segment becomes the most dependent, secretions from that segment drain toward the central airways. The goal is to clear mucus from where it pools rather than from alveolar sacs, which aren’t the targets of postural drainage. In practice, clinicians select positions based on where secretions are likely to accumulate so you can direct drainage from those exact segments.