| Objective: To investigate the effect of load breathing training combined with active breathing cycle technique (ACBT) on clinical symptoms, lung function and respiratory muscles in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: A total of 120 patients with stable COPD were randomly divided into an observation group (load respiratory training + ACBT) and a control group (single load respiratory training), with an intervention period of 3 months. The dyspnea scores (MMRC) of the two groups were compared before the intervention and at 1, 2, and 3 months of the intervention, as well as lung function ［forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV)］, respiratory muscle strength ［maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP)］, exercise endurance ［six-minute walk distance (6MWD)］, and respiratory status ［St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), Borg score］ before and after 3 months of the intervention. Results: After the intervention of 3 months, the observation group showed higher values in FVC, FEV1, MVV, MIP, and MEP than before the intervention, and these values were also higher than those in the control group (P<0.05，0.01). The MMRC scores in both groups decreased significantly over time（P<0.05）, with the observation group having lower scores than the control group at each time point (P<0.05). At 3rd month after the intervention, both groups showed increased 6MWD compared to before the intervention and decreased SGRQ and Borg scores compared to before the intervention, with the observation group having higher 6MWD and lower SGRQ and Borg scores than the control group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Load breathing training combined with ACBT can effectively improve the lung function of patients with stable COPD, improve the strength of respiratory muscles, and relieve the clinical symptoms of patients. |
