Immediate and Long-term Effects of an Adaptation of the "Balloon-blowing Exercise"

Healthy Clinical Trial

Official title:

Immediate and Long-term Effects of an Adaptation of the "Balloon-blowing Exercise" on the Thoracoabdominal Movement in Healthy Students - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04737824
• Other study ID #: ESS-Balloon
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: February 1, 2021
• Est. completion date: March 31, 2021

Study information

• Verified date: August 2021
• Source: Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Despite the literature evidence that the "balloon-blowing exercise" improves the pulmonary function as a long-term effect, this exercise has not yet been studied or tested experimentally, meaning that there are no specific and measurable results that attest the improvement on thoracoabdominal movement.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 42
• Est. completion date: March 31, 2021
• Est. primary completion date: March 31, 2021
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 25 Years

Eligibility

The target population consisted of healthy physiotherapy students from School of Health - Polytechnic of Porto, who volunteered to participate in study.

Inclusion criteria:

• In the Experimental Group B were admitted individuals that, through the analysis of the training record sheet, had executed 2/3 of the programmed sessions.

Exclusion criteria:

• Individuals that had participated in aerobic physical activities of moderate (i.e., at least 30 minutes on five days per week) or vigorous intensity (i.e., at least 20 minutes on three days per week) for more than one year;
• Chronic nonspecific lumbopelvic pain (i.e., recurrent episodes of lumbopelvic pain for a period exceeding three months);
• Flu symptoms or respiratory infection up to one week before data collection;
• History of recent ribs fracture and pain in the last three months;
• Pulmonary or rib cage previous pathologies;
• Length discrepancy of the lower limbs or other postural asymmetries;
• History of spinal, gynaecological, or abdominal surgery in the previous year;
• Recurrent muscle/joint pain and history of musculoskeletal injury in the last three months;
• Smoking and/or drinking habits.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Healthy

Intervention

Procedure:
• An adaptation of the "balloon-blowing" exercise
The participants were positioned in supine, on a semi-rigid surface, with the upper limbs placed above the level of the head, at rest. Their feet were also placed at a resting position on a wall and with their hips and knees at 90o of flexion. The cervical was placed in a neutral position and the pelvis was maintained in a posterior pelvic tilt, both structures corrected by the researcher. The participants were asked to contract the adductors, maintaining a bilateral and symmetric pressure between 10 and 15 mmHg on two sphygmomanometers placed between the knees. Also, an isometric contraction of the hamstrings and gluteus was requested. A Threshold®, with a minimum resistance of 5 cmH2O, and they were instructed to close their lips around the mouthpiece, to avoid air leaks. To start the exercise, it was transmitted to the participants to make a maximum inspiration through the nose, for two seconds. Subsequently, a maximum exhalation throughout the threshold was made for three seconds.
• An adaptation of the "balloon-blowing" exercise for seven weeks, three times a week, at home
The participants were positioned in supine, on a semi-rigid surface, with the upper limbs placed above the level of the head, at rest. Their feet were also placed at a resting position on a wall and with their hips and knees at 90o of flexion. The cervical was placed in a neutral position and the pelvis was maintained in a posterior pelvic tilt, both structures corrected by the researcher. The participants were asked to contract the adductors, maintaining a bilateral and symmetric pressure between 10 and 15 mmHg on two sphygmomanometers placed between the knees. Also, an isometric contraction of the hamstrings and gluteus was requested. A Threshold®, with a minimum resistance of 5 cmH2O, and they were instructed to close their lips around the mouthpiece, to avoid air leaks. To start the exercise, it was transmitted to the participants to make a maximum inspiration through the nose, for two seconds. Subsequently, a maximum exhalation throughout the threshold was made for three seconds.

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
Portugal	Escola Superior de Saúde - Instituto Politécnico do Porto	Porto

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto

Country where clinical trial is conducted

Portugal, 

References & Publications (3)

Boyle KL, Olinick J, Lewis C. The value of blowing up a balloon. N Am J Sports Phys Ther. 2010 Sep;5(3):179-88. — View Citation

De Troyer A. Respiratory effect of the lower rib displacement produced by the diaphragm. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2012 Feb;112(4):529-34. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01067.2011. Epub 2011 Dec 1. — View Citation

Key J. 'The core': understanding it, and retraining its dysfunction. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2013 Oct;17(4):541-59. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2013.03.012. Epub 2013 Jun 28. Review. — View Citation

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior movement of the upper rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Immediate after procedure
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior movement of the lower rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Immediate after procedure
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior abdominal movement	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Immediate after procedure
Primary	Medial-to-lateral movement of the upper rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Immediate after procedure
Primary	Medial-to-lateral movement of the lower rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Immediate after procedure
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior movement of the upper rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Seven weeks
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior movement of the lower rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Seven weeks
Primary	Anterior-to-posterior abdominal movement	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Seven weeks
Primary	Medial-to-lateral movement of the upper rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Seven weeks
Primary	Medial-to-lateral movement of the lower rib cage	Thoracoabdominal movement was measure through "Qualisys motion capture system".	Seven weeks