Respiratory Muscle Stretching in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Objective: The investigators studied the effects of respiratory muscle stretching in an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program. Methods: This was a simple-blind parallel controlled trial, conducted an out-patient clinic. Twenty six patients with COPD (mean age 68 ± 6 y, percent of predicted FEV1 47 ± 16) were randomized to either respiratory muscle stretching group plus exercise training (RMS), and exercise training group (Sham), in an 8-week exercise program that had 3 sessions per week. The investigators measured inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength (by maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure - PIM and PEM), exercise capacity (by 6-minute walk distance), dyspnea and quality of life.

Official Title
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Respiratory Muscle Stretching in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Submitted a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program

Conditions
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Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: respiratory muscle stretching


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Subjects between 40 and 75 years of age referred by a physician to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program With a clinical and spirometric diagnosis of moderate to severe COPD according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), in a stable condition (without exacerbations or infections for at least a month) Former smokers Exclusion Criteria: Patients with a known history of asthma, or severe and/or unstable heart disease Any other pathological condition that could impair their physical activities

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 40 Years
Maximum Age: 75 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: exercise training program<br>The exercise training program consisted of three 90-minute sessions per week for eight weeks. Each session consisted of a stretching exercise, resistance that patients started at 70% of the initial one-repetition maximum (1RM: the maximum load which can be moved only once over the full range of motion without compensatory movements) in the first week (3x8 repetitions). Every week the load was increased by 5% of the 1RM, and endurance training (treadmill walking speed was set at 60% of the average speed obtained from the 6MWT (6MWTpeak) for 10 mins in the first week and was increased to 20 mins in week 8 | Behavioral: respiratory muscle stretching<br>* stretching exercises for respiratory muscles like diaphragm, pectoral, dorsalis etc<br>* Other names: pulmonary rehabilitation;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inspiratory muscle strength |  | 2 hours | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Exercise capacity |  | 2 hours | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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COPD, diaphragm, muscle, stretching, exercises, dyspnea, respiratory muscle stretching, pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise training, improved exercise capacity, dyspnea, quality of life