Effect of Upper Limb Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation with Elastic Resistance Band Training on Upper Limb Functions in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent, preventable, and curable condition defined by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow restriction owing to airway and/or alveolar abnormalities typically induced by considerable exposure to toxic particles or gases (GOLD, 2017).In 2019, COPD accounted for 3.23 million deaths globally, making it the third-largest cause of mortality overall.A significant effect of COPD is impairment of peripheral muscle function. Muscle dysfunction, including decreased maximal strength and endurance, is present in both the upper and lower limbs of COPD patients. It also interferes with the contribution of the accessory inspiratory muscles to the work of breathing during unsupported upper limb activities, there is a larger amount of dyspnea even at low workloads compared to the lower limb. The upper extremity muscle strength and abdominal muscle endurance and exercise capacity are reduced compared to healthy subjects in a group of patients with COPD mostly in GOLD stages II and III and the upper extremity muscle strength is found to be associated with fatigue perception in COPD. In COPD patients, it has been seen that resistance training is effective in achieving a muscle training stimulus, causes an increase in strength and endurance of muscle groups and, statistically significant improvement in functional capacity and peak workload without distressing dyspnea.Improvements in respiratory mechanics through upper limb training can be made through the use of resistance exercise employing ERB training in conjunction with PNF as a potential rehabilitation approach in respiratory diseases. However, it is yet unclear how well this method improves upper-limb function. PNF with ERB has not been used for upperextremity exercise training in patients with COPD. The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not PNF combined with ERB improves upper-limb function in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.