Physical Therapy and Chiropractic Clinic Supplies: The Disposables Each Treatment Table Uses

Physical therapy supplies for the treatment table come down to four positions: a face cradle cover for the face hole when the patient lies face down, a bed sheet or table paper over the table surface, a headrest sheet or pillow cover when the patient lies face up, and a drape or waterproof sheet wherever gel, lotion or a moist hot pack meets the table. Each is single use and changed for every patient, so the monthly order is a count of table turns, not a guess.

This guide is for physical therapy practices, chiropractic offices, hospital rehab departments and the distributors who supply them. It covers the disposables that go on the treatment table only, not equipment, exercise bands, hot packs or electrode pads. For the wider range of rehabilitation and treatment-bed disposables for clinics, see our solutions page.

Each position on the table has its own cover. The table below matches each position to an item.

The same table usually sees patients face down and face up in one day, so stock all three positions: face cradle and surface for face-down work, surface and headrest for face-up work. For choosing between table paper and nonwoven sheets, and crepe or smooth paper, see our guide to exam table paper for chiropractic and physical therapy tables.

A changeover between patients runs like this:

1. Strip the used face rest cover, headrest sheet and bed sheet off the table and drop them into the lined bin.
2. Clean the table, face cradle and headrest with the clinic’s surface cleaner, used as its label directs.
3. Tear a fresh bed sheet off the roll and lay it along the table from the head end, with the crosscut over the face hole.
4. Lay a face rest cover over the face cradle with the crosscut centered on the opening.
5. For a face-up treatment, tear a headrest sheet off its roll and lay it over the headrest or pillow instead.

A face cradle cover, also called a face rest cover or face hole cover, is the small single-use sheet laid over the face cradle so the patient’s face does not touch the padding. Disposable face cradle covers come in a few shapes, and the right one depends on the cradle:

The NK8301 is polyester, and its product page lists good breathability, water repellency and low lint. Cradle frames differ between table makers, so measure yours and lay a sample before settling on a size. For how face cradle covers fit with sheets, roll versus pre-cut formats and basis weights, see our guide to disposable bed sheets and face cradle covers.

Three formats cover the table surface, and the choice depends on table width, how often the table turns over, and whether the work is wet.

Roll sheet. The NK7301 crosscut bed sheet roll is 80 × 180 cm, 50 sheets per perforated roll, with a crosscut for the face hole. It is polyester, listed for good breathability and water repellency. It suits treatment rooms with quick turnover and a roll holder at the table.

Folded sheet. The HC8301 disposable bed sheet comes as single folded sheets, S 100 × 240 cm or L 140 × 240 cm, in pink or blue. The product page lists therapy beds and hospital beds, and the folded format is easy for staff to pick. The wider sizes wrap wider tables and their edges.

Table paper. The HC7303 roll is 55 cm × 100 m, torn to length as needed: wood pulp paper with a PE film back, absorbent on top and waterproof underneath. It suits chiropractic adjusting tables and exam tables where patients change often and visits are short.

For the headrest, the headrest sheet roll (NK7304, 80 × 40 cm) can wrap a long pillow or cover the neck and shoulder area, while HC8312 pillow tissue (40 × 40 cm, single sheets, polyester, water-repellent) fits a small exam pillow.

Moisture reaches the table from ultrasound gel, massage lotion and towel-wrapped moist hot packs. Nonwoven table sheets are water-repellent rather than waterproof, so add a layer where liquid collects.

Using a drape for one area and a waterproof sheet only when the whole surface is wet keeps the waterproof layer where it is needed. Cleaning and disinfection between patients follow your clinic’s infection control policy and local requirements; a disposable cover does not replace that step.

Count in table turns: one patient on one table once is one table turn. A visit that uses two tables, such as a hot-pack table and then a treatment table, counts as two.

Pull table turns from the scheduling system for a week or two, and use the same records for the face-down and face-up split.

A planning example, with assumed numbers: four tables, 60 table turns a day, 22 days a month is 1,320 turns. If 60% are face down, that is 792 face covers, so one carton of 3,000 GhealthCare crosscut covers lasts more than three months. Bed sheets on the NK7301 roll come to 1,320, or 4.4 cartons, so order five. The 528 face-up turns use less than half a carton of NK7304. Pack counts carry a tolerance of one or two sheets, so count actual stock. To turn these counts into medical supply costs per use, see our cost guide.

All of these items are made in Taiwan and carry SGS results for formaldehyde, heavy metals, E. coli and migrating fluorescent agents; the report for a specific SKU is available on request.

Do chiropractic and physical therapy clinics use the same disposables as massage studios?

The sheets, face covers and headrest covers overlap, so multi-service clinics and chains can combine orders. The differences are wet work and exam table paper. For foot treatments and reflexology, see our guide to foot spa and reflexology disposables.

What is the difference between a face cradle cover and a face rest cover?

They are the same item under different names, also called face hole covers or headrest covers. On a purchase order, the size and the opening shape (crosscut or oval) are more reliable than the name.

Are disposable face cradle covers and table sheets sterile?

No. They are not sterile products; they are single-use hygienic barriers changed for every patient. The HC8308 towel drape is listed as supplied non-sterile.

How should used covers and sheets be disposed of?

Do not flush them, as the product pages note. Bag them with the clinic’s other waste and follow local rules for sorting and collection.