Acute Effects of a Stretching Program of the Rib Cage Muscles on Patients With COPD During Exercise

Acute Effects of a Stretching Program of the Rib Cage Muscles on the Regional Distribution of Ventilation and the Diaphragmatic Mobility of Patients With COPD During Exercise: a Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial

Investigate the effects of stretching the muscles of the rib cage in individuals with COPD during exercise.

To investigate the effects of a stretching program for the muscles of the rib cage or control in patients with COPD during exercise and / or the immediate post-exercise, using the following parameters:

• Tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate (RR), minute volume (MV), inspiratory time (Tins) and expiratory (T exp).
• Change in volumes of total and regional chest magazines (pulmonary rib cage, abdominal rib cage and abdomen).
• Diaphragmatic mobility.
• electrical muscle activity
• endurance time.
• Dyspnea sensation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Smoking history, occupational or environmental exposure to pollutants and / or symptoms of cough, dyspnea or hypersecretion;
• FEV1 <80% predicted and post-bronchodilator FEV1 / FVC <70% to confirm the diagnosis of airway obstruction not fully reversible bronchodilator therapy;
• Absence of co-morbidities that does not allow the realization of stress (hypertension, severe pulmonary hypertension, myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, severe dyspnoea);
• Preserved cognitive functioning;
• Sedentary
• Clinically stable during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with cognitive, hearing or visual deficit;
• Changes in the neuro-musculo-skeletal system which endangers or impairs the assessment;
• Obese
• Not be able to achieve at least three stages of the incremental test.