Comparison between post isometric relaxation and reciprocal inhibition techniques of muscle energy techniques on respiratory function in patients with chronic obstructive airway diseases

Background: Muscle energy techniques are usually indicated to relieve pain and improve range of motion, however there are studies indicating their usefulness in COAD patients in improving chest expansiondyspnoea, chest mobility, exercise tolerance, autonomic dysfunction in a way improving vital capacity and consequently, quality of life. Both PIR and RI techniques of MET have opposite mechanisms of working, and have proved to be effective in treatment of COAD patients. However, there is no documented evidence to find out which technique is the best MET technique on respiratory function. Objectives: • To find out the effects of Post Isometric Relaxation with Chest Physiotherapy on respiratory function. • To find out the effects of Reciprocal Inhibition with Chest Physiotherapy on respiratory function. • To compare both of the effects (the effects on dyspnoea, respiratory rate, chest expansion and maximum breathing capacity.),in the two groups. Methodology: Ethical clearance and participant consent was taken. Study design was Experimental Prospective study. The 86 subjects were divided into groups of 43 each by computer generated randomized table method, one receiving PIR and the other, RI techniques and chest physiotherapy was given to both groups. Inclusion criteria included COAD patients and exclusion included restrictive lung diseases and other systemic diseases. The pre and post intervention outcome measures were calculated for both the groups .Then the groups were compared to see if there was any significant difference in the outcome measures. Study duration was 18 months.(May 2016- October 2017) 1. SPSS 16.0 software was used to analyse the data. . Data was tested for normality using the Shapiro Wilk test. Parametric test like paired t test and unpaired t test were used for the data passing the normality test whereas nonparametric test like Wilcoxon Signed Rank test and Mann Whitney U test were used for the data not passing the normality test. Level of significance was set at 5%. Results • In PIR group; Maximum Breathing Capacity had significantly increased(p=0.11) at post test whereas Respiratory Rate(p=0.009) had significantly gone down at post test. Other parameters had not significantly changed. • Within RI group; Chest expansion had significantly increased(p=0.38) at post test whereas other parameters had not significantly changed. • 3.The amount of change was not significantly different between groups.(dyspnoea p=0.906 ) • (Chest expansion axilla, p=0.879),(chest expansion xiphesternum, p=0.601),(maximum breathing capacity, p=0.193), (respiratory rate, p=0.745) Conclusion: On comparing the differences between both groups there was no statistically significant difference in in both groups in chest expansion (axilla and xiphesternum), dyspnoea, respiratory rate, maximum breathing capacity.