Unsupported Arm Exercise and Breathing Strategy in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

West Park Healthcare Centre

Status: Completed

Conditions: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Treatments: Behavioral: breathing strategy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00836108

RG20080707ArmStrategy

Details and patient eligibility

About

Controlling the way people with lung problems breathe during arm exercises may reduce their breathlessness during activities of daily living that require them to lift their arms (i.e. brushing their hair, putting groceries away on high shelves). The main aim of this study is to determine the effects of specific breathing strategies during arm exercise on dyspnoea in patients with chronic lung disease. Coordinating inspiration with the action of arm elevation will reduce dyspnoea during a rhythmic overhead arm activity

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosis of COPD including forced expiratory volume in one second < 80% predicted normal
• presence of lung hyperinflation at rest

Exclusion criteria

• musculoskeletal or neurological condition which could adversely affect arm activity

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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36 participants in 3 patient groups

1

Sham Comparator group

Description:

spontaneous

Treatment:

Behavioral: breathing strategy

2

Experimental group

Description:

coordinating arm elevation with inspiration

Treatment:

Behavioral: breathing strategy

3

Experimental group

Description:

coordinating arm elevation with expiration

Treatment:

Behavioral: breathing strategy