• The Journal of Korean Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.13-20
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• 2015

Background: To evaluate the effect of thoracic mobility exercise and deep breathing exercise applied to stroke patients on pulmonary function. Methods: The subjects were divided into two group. Twenty-five patients with stroke were randomly assigned to DB (deep breathing exercise) group (n=13) and TM (combination of deep breathing exercise and thoracic mobility exercise) group (n=12). During four weeks, DB group were carried out deep breathing exercises for 5~10 minutes twice a day and TM Group were carried out deep breathing exercises for 5~10 minutes and thoracic mobility exercise for 20~30 minutes twice a day. All tests were completed before and after experiment. The pulmonary functions were measured by PowerBreathe K5 (Hab International Ltd, England) and tape measure respectively. For each case, the experimental data were obtained in 4 items; average of inspiratory load, inspiratory flow speed, inspiratory flow volume and chest expansion. Results: The results of this study were as follows: 1. In DB group, the statistically significants were shown on average of inspiratory flow speed, inspiratory flow volume and chest expansion (p<.05). 2. In TM group, the statistically significants were shown on all items (p<.05). 3. There was a statistically significant difference on all items between DB group and TM group (p<.05). Conclusions: The above results revealed that DB and TM group can be used to improve pulmonary function in stroke patients. In comparison of DB and TM group, TM group was more improved. In conclude, thoracic mobility exercise helped improving function of vital capacity and chest expansion in stroke patients.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

Background: The deep cervical flexor (DCF) muscles have a crucial role in the management of neck pain. For preventing neck pain by activation of the DCF, craniocervical flexion (CCF) is an effective exercise. However, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle is considered to affect negatively the activation of the DCF. SCM muscle which is an accessory muscle for respiration is activated differently depending on types of breathing patterns. It's not certain that breathing patterns affect the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Objects: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of breathing patterns on the SCM and DCF muscles thickness during CCF exercise. Methods: Forty-five subjects participated in this study, and they were classified according to their breathing pattern, as follows: costodiaphragmatic breathing (CDB) and upper costal breathing (UCB) groups. Ultrasonographic imaging of the SCM and DCF muscles was performed during five incremental levels of CCF during tidal breathing and expiration. Results: There was a significant interaction between the breathing pattern and the phase of CCF for percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes (p<.05). In phase 1 CCF, a percentage of SCM muscle thickness changes was increased in the UCB group than in the CDB group (p<.05). There was an increase in DCF muscles thickness with each additional CCF phase (p<.05). Conclusion: Recruitment of SCM muscle was increased in the UCB group while performing CCF with a low intensity. There were no significant differences on DCF recruitment between the breathing pattern groups. Higher CCF exercise intensities elicited a higher DCF recruitment.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Medicine & Therapy Science
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of closed chain lower limb exercise with abdominal breathing exercise on stroke patients and their effects on trunk control ability and balance. Method: The subjects were 40 stroke patients, 19 patients in the experimental group and 18 patients in the control group. The period was 5 weeks, 5 times a week, 30 minutes per session. The experimental group was subjected to a closed chain lower limb exercise with abdominal breathing exercise and the control group was subjected to a closed chain lower limb exercise. The posture assessment scale for stroke(PASS), trunk impairment scale(TIS) were used for trunk adjustment ability, and the balance ability was measured as center of pressure(COP) and limit of stability(LOS). Results: Results of this study showed that the PASS and TIS test significantly increased the experimental group compared to the control group. As a result of comparing the changes of pre and post intervention intervals between the two groups, the TIS test was significantly lower in the experimental group than in the control group, but the LOS test was not significantly increased in the experimental group. Conclusion: Closed chain lower limb exercise with abdominal breathing exercise showed a significant improvement in the trunk control and balance ability of the stroke patients compared to the closed chain lower limb exercise without the abdominal breathing exercise.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2016

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of abdominal breathing and thoracic expansion exercises on craniovertebral and cranial rotation angles in patients with rotator cuff injury. METHODS: This study enrolled 19 patients with rotator cuff injury, and ten and nine of the patients were randomly placed in abdominal breathing and thoracic expansion exercise groups, respectively. After pain treatment in each group, breathing exercise was conducted thrice a week for four weeks. The patients were recorded by using a digital camera and Image J (version 1.46, National Institutes of Health, USA), an angle measurement program, was used to analyze changes in the craniovertebral angle, cranial rotation angle, and sagittal shoulder posture. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences in the craniovertebral angle were found in both the abdominal breathing and thoracic expansion exercise groups (p<.05). A significant difference in cranial rotation angle was found in the thoracic expansion exercise group only (p<.05). No statistically significant differences in sagittal shoulder posture were found in both groups (p>.05). CONCLUSION: Although abdominal breathing and thoracic expansion exercises did not effectively change sagittal shoulder posture, the exercises were effective in improving craniovertebral and cranial rotation angles. Therefore, abdominal breathing and thoracic expansion exercises are suggested as effective exercise programs for forward head posture.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.85 no.2
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• pp.137-146
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• 2022

Background: Farinelli breathing (FB) exercise is a typical breathing exercise used by singers. This study aimed to compare effects of FB exercise and diaphragmatic breathing (DB) exercise on respiratory function and symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Sixteen patients aged 51-80 years with mild or moderate COPD were recruited for this study. They were divided into two groups: DB group (n=8) and FB group (n=8). Both groups received complete breathing exercise training five times per week for 8 weeks. Their respiratory functions, COPD symptoms, cytokine levels, and oxidative stress variables were analyzed during pre- and post-tests. Dependent variables were compared between pre- and post-tests using paired t-tests. An independent t-test was used to compare variables between the groups. Differences were considered significant at p<0.05. Results: The maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max), and COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores changed significantly in the DB group after the 8-week intervention compared to those at pre-test, whereas force vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second, maximum voluntary ventilation, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), MEP, VO₂max, CAT score, tumor necrosis factor-α, and malondialdehyde level changed significantly in the FB group at post-test compared to those at pre-test. Moreover, both MIP and MEP in the FB group were significantly higher than those in the DB group. Conclusion: FB exercise improved respiratory functions and COPD symptoms of patients with COPD. It might be an alternative breathing exercise in pulmonary rehabilitation programs for patients with COPD.

• Asian Oncology Nursing
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.95-102
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• 2010

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a breathing exercise intervention by measuring pulmonary function test (PFT) three times; preoperative, 3rd and 5th day after operation. Methods: This study was designed as a non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design. A total of 55 patients with lung cancer were recruited from a Chonnam university hospital in Hawsun-gun, Korea from January to December 2008. Results: 'Forced Vital Capacity (FVC)' and 'Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second $(FEV_1)$' were significantly improved in the experimental group than those in the control group (p<.05). Conclusion: Breathing exercise intervention was found to be effective in improving pulmonary function among lung cancer patients underwent lung lobectomy. Thus, the breathing exercise can be applied in hospitals and communities for patients with lung cancer as one of the nursing intervention modalities for their better postoperative rehabilitation.

• PNF and Movement
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2023

Purpose: The study aims to determine the effect of a breathing exercise on shoulder pain, range of motion (ROM), and forward head posture in patients with rotator cuff repair. Methods: In total, 25 patients with rotator cuff repair were included in this study. The experimental group (n = 13) underwent a breathing exercise, while the control group (n = 12) received traditional physical therapy. The visual analogue scales (VASs) for pain, flexion and abduction ROM, and the craniovertebral angle (CVA) of both groups were recorded at both pre- and post-intervention. Paired t-tests were used to determine significant changes in the post-intervention compared with the pre-intervention period, and independent t-tests were used to analyze differences in dependent variables between the two groups. Results: After the two-week intervention, the experimental group experienced a significantly decreased VAS (p < 0.05) and significantly increased ROM and CVA (p < 0.05), while the control group experienced a significantly decreased VAS (p < 0.05). Further, the experimental group that underwent the breathing exercise showed greater improvements in flexion and abduction ROM and in the CVA than the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results suggested that a breathing exercise can reduce shoulder pain and enhance ROM and posture in patients with rotator cuff repair.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.25-32
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• 2009

Purpose: This study examined whether breathing exercises might increase the chest expansion and pulmonary function of stroke patients. Methods: Twenty four patients with stroke were assigned randomly into two groups: a combination of diaphragmatic resistive breathing and pursed-lip breathing exercise (CB) group (n=10) and control group (n=14). The CB group completed a 4-week program of diaphragmatic resistive breathing and pursed-lip breathing exercise. The subjects were assessed using the pre-test and post-test measurements of the chest expansion (length for resting, deep inspiration, deep expiration, deep expiration-inspiration) and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow (PEF), vital capacity (VC), tidal volume (TV), expiratory reserve volume (ERV), inspiratory reserve volume (IRV)). Results: A comparison of the chest expansion between the pre and post tests revealed similar rest, deep inspiration, deep expiration, and deep expiration-inspiration lengths in the CB and control groups (p>0.05). A comparison of the pulmonary function between pre and post tests, revealed significant improvements in the FVC, FEV, PEF, VC, IRV, and ERV in the CB group (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the FVC, FEV1, PEF, VC and IRV between the 2 groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that breathing exercise should help improve the pulmonary function, such as the volume and capacity. This suggests that the pulmonary functions of stroke patients might be improved further by a continued respiratory exercise program.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.552-556
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of feedback breathing exercise on respiratory muscle activity. Thirty stroke patients were randomly and equally assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received rehabilitation exercise treatment for 30 minutes and feedback respiratory exercise for 30 minutes and the control group received rehabilitation exercise treatment for 30 minutes and conducted motomed exercise for 30 minutes. All of them conducted exercises five times per week for four weeks. Respiratory muscles including the upper trapezius(UT), longissimus dorsi(LD), rectus abdominis(RA), external abdominal oblique(EAO) and, internal abdominal oblique(IAO) were measured using MP 150WSW prior to and after the experiment. Regarding pulmonary functions prior to and after the experiment, the experimental group showed significant differences in all sections but the control group did not show significant differences in any sections. As for in-between group differences after the experiment, there were significant differences in the UT, LD, RA, and IAO but no significant differences in the EAO. In conclusion, respiratory muscle activity was more effective for the experimental group than the control group. It is considered that feedback respiratory exercise may induce improvement in respiratory muscles in stroke patients through feedback breathing exercise.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.81-89
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• 2018

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to monitor the performance of breathing exercises by patients with lumbar instability who had altered breathing patterns. METHODS: To investigate the effects of breathing exercises on spinal posture, mobility, and stabilization in patients with lumbar instability with altered breathing patterns, 30 adult participants were enrolled on the basis of the selection criteria and randomly assigned to the breathing exercise group (BEG) or trunk stabilization exercise group (SEG). A pre-test was performed prior to the intervention exercise program. The intervention exercise program consisted of 15 sessions (three sessions per week for 5 weeks) between August and September of 2016. The post-test was performed on the 6th week of intervention. RESULTS: Pre- and post-test comparisons of BEG and SEG revealed significant improvements in all tested items in the SEG, except for spinal mobility, while significant improvements in spinal postures 1 and 2, spinal mobility, and stabilization were found in the BEG. Between-group comparisons revealed that there were no significant differences in spinal posture 1, spinal posture 2, spinal mobility, or stabilization, whereas significant differences were found in spinal posture 2 and spinal mobility, with the BEG showing greater improvements than the SEG. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings in the present study, it is believed that breathing exercises have important effects on spinal posture, mobility, and stabilization in patients with lumbar instability who have altered breathing patterns.