The Effect of Body Awareness Therapy on Postural Stability, Balance and Fear of Falling in Patients With COPD

Summary

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the serious diseases with a high prevalence and mortality, which adversely affects the quality of life, and is expected to rank third in the global burden of disease in 2020. Although the primary pathophysiology of the disease is pulmonary, it is emphasized that extrapulmonary involvement and comorbid conditions adversely affect the severity and prognosis of the disease. In the treatment guidelines for COPD, extrapulmonary systems and symptoms should also be evaluated. In this context, the number of studies on the effects of postural stability, balance and fall has increased recently, especially in COPD patients. Although the efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in COPD is well defined, it provides minimal gains in postural control and balance. Alternative therapies are needed to improve postural stability, balance and fall in COPD patients.

Body Awareness Therapy (BAQ) is an alternative method developed by French exercise instructor and psychotherapist Jacques Dropsy in the early 1970s following the emergence of the concept of body awareness, adapted to rehabilitation programs by Swedish and Norwegian physiotherapists. Traditional physiotherapy methods are the basis of BAQ. In the treatment, sensory stimulation and movement quality, rhythm, coordination, breathing, relaxation, balance, coordination and proprioceptive exercises give more space. In the literature, BAQ decreases pain, fatigue, eating and sleep problems in chronic musculoskeletal or rheumatic pain, coronary artery disease and neurological patient groups. It is seen to increase the quality of exercise, coordination, balance, postural control, quality of life and the integration between mind-body. Movement awareness and mind-body-behavior interaction developed in BAQ can help regulate emotional, mental, social and behavioral factors that affect health. In addition to improving coping skills and cognitive behaviors among COPD patients, it can contribute to positive gains in better movement, respiratory control and balance. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of BAQ, which is integrated into 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation sessions, on postural stability, balance and fall conditions.

Conditions

• Asthma

Interventions

OTHER

Body Awareness Therapy

The BAT for the participants was based on the works of Roxendal and Dropsy. Activities include relaxation exercises, breathing exercises, floor exercises for trunk and pelvic movements, weight transfer using extremities and proprioceptive movements. Movements will be made in various positions to determine the centerline of the body. All exercises will be started in the supine position to maximize proprioceptive motion feedback and minimize energy requirements during tasks. Movements will be taught in a series of lessons over a period of 8 weeks with advance advancement of selected movements depending on participant comfort.

OTHER

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise Thoracic expansion exercises (Chest breathing and bilateral segmental breathing exercises) Inductive spirometry (Triflo®) exercise Cough development techniques

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Marmara University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Seda Karaca, MsC · Marmara University

• Aysel Yıldız Özer, Ass.Prof.Dr. · Marmara University

• Sait Karakurt, Prof. Dr. · Marmara University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

40 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2020-02-29

Primary Completion

2021-02-28

Completion

2022-02-28

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations