Effects of trunk pnf techniques on respiratory functions of patients with copd

Background: In India, COPD is the second most common lung disorder after pulmonary TB. The pathological changes occurring due to the inflammatory processes produce deficits such as decreased ventilation, mucus accumulation, dyspnea, etc. In current literature, although the effects of various PNF techniques have been studied to reverse these deficits, very few studies have included the trunk PNF patterns like lifting and chopping.
Objective: The present study aims to assess the effect of trunk PNF patterns compared to conventional respiratory therapy on chest expansion, single breath-hold count, and modified rate perceived of exertion of patients with COPD.
Methodology: 30 male and female subjects diagnosed with COPD were allotted to one of the two groups: Group A (conventional group, n=15) received conventional respiratory therapy; Group B (experimental group, n=15) received trunk PNF patterns along with conventional treatment. Outcome measures were taken before and after 7 days of an intervention period. The statistical analysis was done using Graph Pad Prism 8.3.1 software to verify the results obtained.
Results: The inter-group analysis results showed that there was a significant difference (p value<0.05) in values of chest expansion and single breath-hold count in Group B as compared to Group A; there was no significant difference (p value>0.05) in the values of modified rate of perceived exertion.
Conclusion: Trunk PNF patterns and conventional respiratory therapy combined have a significant effect on chest expansion and single breath-hold count of COPD patients than conventional therapy alone.