Comparing the Effect of Pursed Lip Breathing and Diaphragmatic Breathing on Pulmonary Function and Exercise Frequency in COPD Patients

Background: COPD is a disease having both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary consequences , a curable but avoidable condition that frequently results in serious difficulties for patients. Its hallmark is a progressive and permanent limiting of airflow brought on by long-term lung inflammation brought on by a variety of dangerous particles or gases. The GOLD strategy highlights the importance of a post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio < 0.7 and stresses spirometry as the cornerstone for diagnosis. With the help of this criteria-driven method, COPD can be accurately identified and managed in accordance with medical recommendations. Objectives: The aim of study was to investigate the effect of pursed lip breathing exercise and effect of diaphragmatic breathing in COPD patients and also to check improvement of pulmonary function and exercise frequency. Methods: The study was Quasi experimental in which purposive sampling technique was done from COPD patients from DHQ and General hospital, Faisalabad after meeting inclusion criteria. The study duration was 6 months.Forty individuals with COPD wasdivided into two groups: group 1 and group 2. Group 1 received pursed lip breathing exercise and group 2 receiveddiaphragmatic breathing exercise for 8 weeks. To check the normality of data distribution shiparo wilk test was applied. FVC and FEV1 by FVC at baseline shows p values more than 0.05. Data was normally distributed so parametric tests were applied. Paired sample T test for comparison within group which shows p values less than 0.05. Independent sample T Test for comparison between groups which shows p values greater than 0.05. Evaluation of exercise frequency and pulmonary function was measured by counting the number of exercises performed, modifiedborg scale and spirometry (FVC,FEV1, FEV1/FVC) Data was analyzed by SPSS version 24 for this study. Results: there was no significant difference between the effects of pursed lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing exercises on pulmonary function and exercise frequency. Conclusion: Both interventions were equally effective. Keywords: Pulmonary, Obstructive, Breathing Exercise, Tolerance, Rehabilitation, Respiratory mechanics.