Effect of diaphragm breathing exercise applied on the basis of overload principle.
Hae-Yong Lee, Song-Hee Cheon, Min-Sik Yong
PMID 28626323WHAT IT FOUND
In 35 healthy adults, therapist-guided and self-practised diaphragm breathing with Borg 11-13 resistance improved several breathing measures after four weeks.
The study found a method difference in FVC and FEV1, but no people with cardiopulmonary disorder were studied.
Key findings
01FVC, FEV1, PEF, SVC and IRV showed significant pre-to-post differences after the breathing exercise.
02A significant difference between exercise methods was reported for FVC and FEV1.
03The reported pulmonary function table did not mark FEV1/FVC, tidal volume or expiratory reserve volume as significant pre-to-post changes.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study enrolled 35 subjects without neuromuscular, orthopedic or cardiopulmonary disorder, so it does not show effects in patients. The groups had different pre-exercise FVC and FEV1 values, making between-group interpretation difficult. The paper does not report blinding, allocation concealment, dropout or the number analysed after randomisation. No primary outcome is named, and several pulmonary measures were compared, so the significant results need careful interpretation. The intervention was a package of breathing timing, abdominal resistance, therapist guidance and home practice, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The follow-up was only four weeks, so longer-term effects are unknown.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that therapist-guided diaphragm breathing is proven superior for patients. The study enrolled healthy adults, did not name a primary outcome, and reported only a between-group difference in FVC and FEV1 without showing patient benefit.