Background: In Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), as result of dynamic hyperinflation, primary respiratory muscles go into weakness and length tension relationship of muscles is altered. This leads to decreased ability of primary respiratory muscles to generate muscle tension. COPD patients mostly use accessory muscle for breathing and there is lack of facilitation of intercostal muscle and weakness of diaphragm. Few studies are conducted to assess the immediate effect of Chest Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) i.e. intercostal stretch among COPD patients. Therefore, there is need to find out immediate effect of chest PNF- intercostal stretch on respiratory rate (RR), chest expansion, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) among patient with COPD. Objective: To find out immediate effect chest PNF on respiratory rate, chest expansion and peak expiratory flow rate. Methodology: Ethical clearance and participant consent was taken. Study design was Qausi experimental study. The 65 subjects were taken by convenient sampling. Intercostal stretch was applied over 2nd and 3rd rib bilaterally for 10 breaths with 1 minute rest with a 10 repetitions and Outcome measures were assessed before and immediately after giving chest PNF. SPSS 16 software was used to analyse the data. The normality of the data was assessed using parametric paired t test. Significance level was set at 0.05 and 95% Confidence Interval. Outcome Measures: Respiratory rate, Chest expansion, Peak expiratory flow rate. Result: Immediate effect of chest PNF showed that there was statistically significant increase in PEFR and chest expansion at three level (P=0.000) and there was statistically significant decrease in RR (P=0.000). Conclusion: There is immediate effect of Chest PNF- intercostal stretch on, Respiratory rate, Chest expansion at three level that is axillary, nipple and xiphisternal and Peak expiratory flow rate. It is an easy to use, less time consuming, easy to understand and cost effective technique. KEY WORDS: Chest PNF, intercostal stretch, COPD.
Immediate effect of Chest Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation on Respiratory Rate, Chest Expansion and Peak Expiratory Flow Rate in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
