Effectiveness of physiotherapy in pulmonary rehabilitation program for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at National Hospital for Respiratory Diseases, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic airway disease which could be improved by physiotherapy interventions such as pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Improvements in physical fitness and breathing difficulty results in an increase in quality of life of COPD patients. Thus, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of physiotherapy for COPD patients in a PR programme at National Hospital for Respiratory Diseases (NHRD), Sri Lanka. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study included 75 patients with COPD, of which 92%were males (n=69). Physiotherapy interventions consisted of pre-designed chest clearance techniques, breathing and relaxation exercises, endurance, and stretching and strengthening exercises. Frequency and intensity of interventions were adjusted according to the baseline health status of the participants. Pulmonary function, physical functionality, level of dyspnoea, and health status of the patient were assessed using lung function tests (FEV₁), 6-minute walk test (6MWT), modified-BORG scale, COPD assessment tool (CAT) respectively at the baseline of the programme, at 7th week and at 20th week.