EMERGENCY ASSISTED COUGH
10/22/2026
As quadriplegics, our cough may be very weak. Those of us with injuries below the C5 level typically have decent control of our diaphragms. Upper cervical injuries though, result in an inability to expel secretions from the lungs. Our cough is weak, at best, consequence of expiratory muscle paralysis. The cough reflex is preserved, but it’s not strong enough to expel accumulated secretions.
Your caregiver will need to do an assisted cough by pressing the heel of one hand on your abdomen just above your navel and putting the other hand on top, interlocking the fingers and keeping their own arms straight. Take a deep breath and exhale as they push down. It may take practice to coordinate the cough with the motion.
You may be able to help yourself cough if you have enough arm strength. Wrap your arms around the abdomen just below the rib cage. Hold in a deep breath and throw your upper body forward over your arms while hugging your abdomen during an exhale.
“I’ve taught all my friends the assisted cough. So if we’re having a smoke session and I start wheezing somebody just jumps up to cough me!” Britney, C4
“When I get a cold I need help coughing up the mucus so I use the assisted cough a lot. My husband and I have a good rhythm going! Make sure to have tissues handy!” Sarah, C3-4
Check out “Quadriplegic Coughing Method a.k.a Quad Cough” on YouTube by Charlie of @Quadcapable.