Thoracolumbar Fascia Release on Pulmonary Function in Stroke (TLF-STROKE)

Kocaeli Sağlık ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi

Status: Completed

Conditions: Pulmonary Function; Stroke; Fascial Manipulation

Treatments: Other: Respiratory exercise; Other: Traditional stroke rehabilitation; Other: Thoracolumbar fascia release

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06840223

KOSTU-25-STROKE-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study looks at how thoracolumbar fascia release affects breathing in people who had a stroke. After a stroke, many people have trouble breathing well because their muscles become stiff. We want to see if releasing the thoracolumbar fascia (a big sheet of tissue in the lower back) can help improve lung function.

Participants will be divided into three groups:

Control group - Receives standard stroke rehabilitation. Breathing exercise group - Gets standard rehabilitation plus breathing exercises.

Thoracolumbar fascia release group - Gets standard rehabilitation plus thoracolumbar fascia release therapy.

We will measure lung function right after a single session to see if this therapy makes breathing easier.

Our primary outcome is to check if thoracolumbar fascia release improves lung function compared to the other groups.

This study hopes to find new ways to help stroke survivors breathe better and feel more comfortable.

Full description

This randomized controlled study investigates the immediate effects of thoracolumbar fascia (TLF) release on pulmonary function in stroke patients. Post-stroke impairments often lead to respiratory dysfunction due to musculoskeletal restrictions and altered neuromuscular control. Given the biomechanical connections between the thoracolumbar fascia and the respiratory system, we hypothesize that TLF release may enhance pulmonary mechanics by improving respiratory functions, in single session.

Participants randomly assigned into three groups:

Control group - Receives standard post-stroke rehabilitation. Respiratory exercise group - Undergoes standard rehabilitation combined with structured breathing exercises.

TLF release group - Receives standard rehabilitation along with thoracolumbar fascia release.

The primary outcome measure is the immediate change in spirometric parameters, including forced vital capacity (FVC%), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV₁%), FEV₁/FVC (tiffeneu index) and peak expiratory flow (PEF%).

By evaluating the acute effects of thoracolumbar fascial release on respiratory function, this study aims to explore a potential adjunct therapy for post-stroke pulmonary rehabilitation.

Enrollment: 42 patients

Sex: Male

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Eligible participants were male patients aged 18-65 years, diagnosed with monohemispheric ischemic stroke above the brainstem, confirmed through computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging and a stroke diagnosis at least six months prior to the study.

Exclusion criteria

Severe cardiorespiratory or neuromuscular disease, tracheostomy, obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), rib cage deformity, cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≤ 20), and severe dysphagia, aphasia or confusion.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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42 participants in 3 patient groups

Traditional stroke rehabilitation

Experimental group

Description:

Traditional personalized stroke rehabilitation

Treatment:

Other: Traditional stroke rehabilitation

Thoracolumbar fascia release

Experimental group

Description:

Traditional personalized stroke rehabilitation plus thorakolumbar fascia release

Treatment:

Other: Thoracolumbar fascia release

Respiratory exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Traditional personalized stroke rehabilitation plus respiratory exercise

Treatment:

Other: Respiratory exercise