Home-based respiratory muscle training on quality of life and exercise tolerance in long-term post-COVID-19: Randomized controlled trial.
Ann Phys Rehabil Med
; 66(1): 101709, 2022 Sep 30.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2240191
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the effects of a home-based respiratory muscle training programme (inspiratory [IMT] or inspiratory/expiratory muscles [RMT]) supervised by telerehabilitation on quality of life and exercise tolerance in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. The secondary objective was to evaluate the effects of these programmes on respiratory muscle function, physical and lung function, and psychological state.METHODS:
88 individuals with long-term symptoms of fatigue and dyspnoea after COVID-19 diagnosis were randomly (11 ratio) assigned to IMT, IMTsham, RMT or RMTsham groups for an 8-week intervention (40min/day, 6 times/week). Primary outcomes were quality of life (EuroQol-5D questionnaire) and exercise tolerance (Ruffier test). Secondary outcomes were respiratory muscle function (inspiratory/expiratory muscle strength; inspiratory muscle endurance), physical function (lower and upper limb strength [1-min Sit-to-Stand and handgrip force]), lung function (forced spirometry), and psychological status (anxiety/depression levels and post-traumatic stress disorder). All outcomes were measured pre-, intermediate- (4th week), and post-intervention.RESULTS:
At post-intervention, there was a statistically significant and large (d>0.90) improvement in quality of life, but not in exercise tolerance, in the RMT group compared with the RMTsham group. Both of the real training groups produced a statistically significant and large increase in inspiratory muscle strength and endurance (d≥0.80) and in lower limb muscle strength (d≥0.77) compared with the 2 sham groups. Expiratory muscle strength and peak expiratory flow showed a statistically significant and large (d≥0.87) increase in the RMT group compared with the other 3 groups.CONCLUSION:
Only an 8-week supervised home-based RMT programme was effective in improving quality of life, but not exercise tolerance, in individuals with long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, IMT and RMT programmes were effective in improving respiratory muscle function and lower limb muscle strength, but had no impact on lung function and psychological status.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Topics:
Long Covid
Language:
English
Journal:
Ann Phys Rehabil Med
Journal subject:
Physical Medicine
/
Rehabilitation
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS