Effects of breathing re-education on endurance, strength of deep neck flexors and pulmonary function in patients with chronic neck pain: A randomised controlled trial.
Sahreen Anwar, Syed A Arsalan, Hamayun Zafar and 3 others
PMID 35547963WHAT IT FOUND
Adding eight weeks of supervised breathing re-education to standard physiotherapy improved neck flexor strength and lung capacity in patients with chronic neck pain.
Endurance and other breathing measures did not differ between groups, but the added exercises helped restore strength and vital capacity.
Key findings
01Breathing re-education combined with physiotherapy significantly improved neck flexor strength compared to physiotherapy alone.
02Forced vital capacity improved significantly in the group receiving breathing re-education.
03There was no significant difference between groups in neck extensor strength, neck endurance, or other pulmonary measures like FEV1.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study had a small sample size of 30 participants. Pulmonary function was limited to FEV1 and FVC; other measures like total lung capacity were not assessed. The study did not measure pain levels or neck disability directly, so the clinical impact on symptoms is not reported.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume breathing re-education improves all aspects of neck function or pain. The study only showed significant benefits for neck flexor strength and vital capacity compared to the control group, with no difference in endurance or other lung measures.