The full form of IPR term is ‘Intrathoracic Pressure Regulation’ which is an innovative therapy that leverages the body’s natural physiology to provide perfusion on demand. Studies have shown that IPR therapy impacts the body in two important ways. First, it lowers intracranial pressure, and second, it enhances circulation to the brain in vital organs. Perfusion means that blood is flowing to the tissues to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
This circulation picks up waste products such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide for elimination from the body. All organs of the body require adequate perfusion to function properly. The body continuously regulates blood circulation by using positive & negative pressures inside our thoracic cavity and thus maintaining equilibrium. Positive pressure drives fluids and air away, just as squeezing Abellows together creates a positive pressure that forces air out. When a negative pressure or vacuum is created, the opposite occurs and fluids and air are drawn in, just as pulling a bell apart create a vacuum that pulls air in.
IPR therapy is used to enhance negative interthoracic pressure to help the body help itself in states of shock. Studies show that IPR therapy enhances the negative pressure in the chest by providing a slight amount of therapeutic resistance to the influx of air. This enhanced vacuum pulls more blood back to the chest and heart, enhancing preload and cardiac output. It also lowers ICP, making it easier to circulate blood to the brain.