Spinal Manipulative Therapy for Elderly Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Case Series

Posture and mobility of the upper body quadrant and pulmonary function in COPD: an exploratory study

“…These results suggest that interventions targeted at improving head and thoracic mobility and muscle length of the upper quadrant, such as muscle and joint flexibility exercises, may have the potential to improve patients’ pulmonary function. Previous studies evaluating the effects of techniques in joint mobility and muscle length of the upper quadrant support this practice 9 - 11 . Hence, improving joint and muscle flexibility of patients with COPD should not only be regarded as part of a comprehensive exercise regimen 7 , but also be considered as a possible therapy to improve pulmonary function.…”

“…For example, one study assessed 10 patients and found that applying a hold-relax technique to the pectoralis major muscle improved both vital capacity and shoulder range of motion (ROM) by approximately 10% 9 . Other studies showed that applying manipulative therapy to the upper quadrant significantly improved total lung capacity 10 and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) 11 . Despite these interesting results, evidence of musculoskeletal interventions as an adjunctive management approach for COPD is lacking and more exploratory research is needed to better understand the nature and extent of musculoskeletal changes in patients with COPD and their potential relationship with pulmonary function 8 .…”

Effects of a diaphragm stretching technique on pulmonary function in healthy participants: A randomized-controlled trial

“…Additionally, manual therapy has generally been used to try to relieve various respiratory and breathing symptoms. 3 Stretching of respiratory muscles, myofascial release, and soft tissue massage are included in what is known as thoracic manual therapy. 4 The aim of most of these techniques is to increase movement in the rib cage and the spine in order to improve lung function and circulation.…”

Chest and Neck Mobilization Effects on Spirometric Responses in Healthy Subjects

“…Nonpharmacologic therapies-such as the techniques used in this study and others that have been reported 15,16 that are able to improve lung function parameters may be helpful in the treatment and management of respiratory disorders. Future studies will be necessary to investigate the effects of pompage mobilization techniques on spirometric parameters in subjects with respiratory disorders.…”