BREATHING EXERCISE AND CORRECTION OF POSTURAL STEREOTYPE

Abstract

Purpose of this paper was to evaluate effectiveness of breathing exercise in sitting position in wheelchair on postural stereotype and assessment of further objective indicators. Sample consisted of 15 respondents with spinal cord injury (SCI), 8 men and 7 women. Intervention program has lasted six months, five times a week, in the range of 20 - 30 minutes. The study has included: 1) Chest X-Ray in a sitting position during inhalation and exhalation; 2) chest excursion; 3) determination of forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume during first second (FEV1); 4) wheelchair treadmill test to identify oxygen uptake (VO2) and maximum minute ventilation (Vmax). Pretest X-ray showed that the difference in the movement of the lower ribs during inhalation and exhalation was 2-35 mm. Measurement of chest circumference showed a limitation of chest expansion related to normal values corrected with age and sex. Tetraplegics FVC decreased by 30-50 % compared with the values of healthy population and paraplegics FVC reduced by about 80 %. Wheelchair treadmill test showed that VO2 for all persons with SCI were above average (0.89) comparing with the values of the population without disabilities. V max for all persons with spinal cord injury were also above average (38.22). After six months, X-ray examination showed that the difference in the movement of the lower ribs during inhalation and exhalation has increased by 49 % (6 to 45 mm). Circumference of chest during inspiration increased by 3.5 % and during exhalation decreased by 1.27 %. FEV1 increased by 5.68 % and FVC increased by 7.61%. VO2 decreased, average value was 0.67. Vmax remained unchanged. In this study, by using X-ray and other tests, we have noted the objective influence of breathing exercises on the main respiratory muscles in persons with SCI which affects posture.