Immediate Effect of Thoracic Core Conditioning on Patients with Obstructive Airway Disease Using Stretch Pole

In obstructive airway disease impairments such as shortened muscle length and weakness, reduced chest configuration, chest movement, and reduced thoracic mobility in all the three planes increases the effort of breathing involving more of accessory muscles of respiration. Hence, the purpose of the study is to find the immediate effect of thoracic core conditioning using stretch pole in patients with obstructive airway disease. METHODOLOGY Subjects were screened for inclusion and exclusion criteria and written consent was taken.60 COAD subjects included in the study divided into two groups experimental (with stretch pole) and control group (without stretch pole). Pre intervention and post intervention all outcome measures were assessed in form of thoracic expansion at three different level, peak expiratory flow rate, six minute walk distance, oxygen saturation and rate of perceived exertion. RESULTS On comparing the differences between both groups, statistically significant increase was found in experimental group that was with stretch pole in thoracic expansion at 3rd, 5th and 10th ICS (p=0.000), PEFR (p=0.000), 6MWD (p=0.000) and SPO2 (p=0.000). However, there was no statistically improvement in rate of perceived exertion. CONCLUSION Therefore, we can conclude that there is an immediate effect of thoracic core conditioning by using stretch pole on patients with obstructive airway disease with reference to thoracic expansion at three levels, PEFR, 6MWD, RPE and SPO2.