Exercise intervention for individuals with dysfunctional breathing: a matched controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction Dysfunctional breathing (DB) is common (60-80%) in adults. Individuals with DB may have decreased pain thresholds, impaired motor control and balance, and movement dysfunction. These impairments likely adversely affect performance. Research has demonstrated that DB is multi-dimensional and includes biochemical, biomechanical, and psychophysiological categories. Purpose The purpose of this study was to test the impact of breathing exercises in an otherwise healthy population of individuals diagnosed with at least one category of DB. It was hypothesized that the exercise program would normalize at least one category of DB. Methods An experimental group with DB was recruited, then the control group was matched for gender, age, BMI and activity. Baseline breathing metrics were obtained for each category of breathing dysfunction: capnography for biochemical (ETCO2 of Results Thirty-five individuals comprised the participant sample (16 experimental, 19 control, mean age 26.0 years, mean BMI of 24.3). There were no statistically significant differences between groups at baseline. Eighty-one percent of subjects in the experimental group improved in at least one category compared to 21% of subjects in the control group. Seventy-eight percent of subjects with biomechanical category of DB in the experimental group normalized this dysfunction, while none normalized in the control group, which was statistically significantly different. Twenty-seven percent of subjects with bi…