Diaphragmatic Breathing With and Without Abdominal Muscles Strength Training Program

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Endurance; Pelvic Floor Muscle Weakness; Quality of Life
• Interventions: Other: Diaphragmatic breathing exercises; Other: Abdominal muscle strengthening exercises

• Registration Number: NCT05474469
• Lead Sponsor: Riphah International University

Brief Summary

The postpartum period is excessively weak and have hypotonic abdominal muscles, making the ligaments and connective tissue softer and more elastic. The importance of exercise in the postpartum period is very important in this regard.

This study will be a Randomized control trial used to compare the effects of diaphragmatic breathing with and without abdominal muscles strength training program on pelvic floor strength and endurance and quality of life in postnatal women. Subjects meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be divided into two groups using lottery method. Assessment will be done using PERFECT scheme questionnaire and SF- 36 quality of life questionnaire. Subjects in one group will receive diaphragmatic breathing exercises along with pelvic muscle strength training and subjects in other group will receive only diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Each subject will receive 12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks. Results will be analyzed for any change by using SPSS25.

Detailed Description

The postpartum period is excessively weak and have hypotonic abdominal muscles, making the ligaments and connective tissue softer and more elastic. These changes result in anatomical, physiological and biomechanical alterations. Therefore, these factors are responsible for the lack of necessary support for the waist region, pain, disability and negative impact on health-related quality of life. The importance of exercise in the postpartum period is very important in this regard. Postnatal exercises have several benefits such as improving pelvic floor strength and endurance and quality of life and increasing the general well-being, preventing the diastasis of the rectus Abdominis muscle (RAM) increasing cardiovascular endurance and bone mineral density.

This study will be a Randomized control trial used to compare the effects of diaphragmatic breathing with and without abdominal muscles strength training program on pelvic floor strength and endurance and quality of life in postnatal women. Subjects meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be divided into two groups using lottery method. Assessment will be done using PERFECT scheme questionnaire and SF- 36 quality of life questionnaire. Subjects in one group will receive diaphragmatic breathing exercises along with pelvic muscle strength training and subjects in other group will receive only diaphragmatic breathing exercises. Each subject will receive 12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks. Results will be analyzed for any change by using SPSS25.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2022-01-01
• Study First Submitted: 2022-07-24
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-07-24
• Study First Posted: 2022-07-26
• Primary Completion: 2022-08-01
• Study Completion: 2022-08-10
• Status Verified: 2022-12
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-12-13
• Last Update Posted: 2022-12-15

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 74

Inclusion Criteria

• Age 20 to 35 years.
• Women between 2 to 6 months post-natal.
• Women with stable somatic state.
• Women with no cognitive dysfunction.

Exclusion Criteria

• Women with respiratory problems.
• Women with severe back pain.
• Patients with any pelvic pathology
• Patient with any previous neurological disorders

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Diaphragmatic breathing in combination with abdominal muscle strengthening exercises	Diaphragmatic breathing exercises	Exprimental Group ( Group A) will receive diaphragmatic breathing in combination with abdominal muscle strengthening exercises .12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks period, which consisted of 03 treatment sessions per week.
Diaphragmatic breathing in combination with abdominal muscle strengthening exercises	Abdominal muscle strengthening exercises	Exprimental Group ( Group A) will receive diaphragmatic breathing in combination with abdominal muscle strengthening exercises .12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks period, which consisted of 03 treatment sessions per week.
Diaphragmatic breathing Exercises only without abdominal muscle strengthening exercises	Diaphragmatic breathing exercises	Active comparator (Group B) will receive diaphragmatic breathing only. 12 treatment sessions for 4 weeks period, which consisted of 03 treatment sessions per week.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
PERFECT scheme questionnaire	4 Weeks	The term PERFECT stands for power (or pressure), endurance (E), repetitions (R), rapid contractions (F), and lastly, every contraction timed (ECT). The Pelvic Floor Muscle Assessment Scheme was created to streamline and explain the process. This program may provide suggestions for developing patient-specific exercise plans that correspond to the principles of muscle training."
SF-36 quality of life questionnaire	4 Weeks	Physical functioning (PF), role physical (RP), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), role emotional (RE), and mental health (MH) are the eight scales that the SF-36 measures. Different amounts from each scale do go into the scoring of the PCS and MCS measures.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Islamic Center Sialkot; 🇵🇰 Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan