The Effect of Chest Physical Therapy on Improvement of Pulmonary Function in the Patients with Stroke

호흡기계 물리치료가 뇌졸중환자의 폐기능 증진에 미치는 영향

The purpose of this study was to determine whether respiratory physical therapy might increase the pulmonary function of the patients with stroke or not. Twenty patients with stroke were randomly assigned to experimental and control group. During four weeks, both groups participated in the conventional physical therapy and only the experimental group added in a program of respiratory physical therapy. Respiratory physical therapy consisted of chest mobilization, resistive ventilatory muscle training used the method of PNF technique and relaxed diaphragm breathing. Baseline and post-test measurements were made of vital capacity. inspiratory capacity, expiratory reserve volume, farced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume at one second, $FE1/FVC(\%)$ and maximal voluntary ventilation. Ater four weeks, the experimental group showed the significant improvement in VC(p<.05). FVC(p<.05), FFV1(p<.05) md MVV(p<.05). However, the controll group showed no significant differnece. As compared th the relationship of dependent variables between the experimental group and control group. experimental group showed the significant difference in VC(p<.01), FEV1(p<.05) and MVV(p<.05). These findings suggest that respiratory physical therapy can be used to improve pulmonary function in stroke patients. Also, respiratory physical therapy should be performed for at least four weeks and be followed by the continuous respiratory exercise programs.