The effects of pulmoner rehabilitation in COPD

Introduction: Pulmoner rehabilitation is a treatment component that must be integrated with the standard medical treatment for the patients whose exercise tolerance has decreased, whose daily life activities and quality of life standards have become lower though being treated with the most appropriate treatment.Aim: This study aims to compare the effects of pulmoner rehabilitation given in water with the medical therapy alone for the medium and heavy COPD cases on the vital and physical examination findings, symptoms, respiration function test, arterial blood gas, exercise capacity, anxiety and depression scores and quality of life.Methods: The participants of the study who were diagnosed with COPD were divided into two groups consisting of 25 patients. The hydrotherapy group was given water exercises while the control group took only medical treatment. The control group was observed without any interference into their medical treatment. For the hydrotherapy group, in addition to the medical treatment, pulmoner rehabilitation under the supervision of a physician consisting of low and high extremity strenghtener exercises were given in 30 ºC water three times a week for four weeks. In each session, they were asked to do exercises for 20 minutes. The patients attended 12 sessions of exercise in total. Vital findings of all cases were measured, they were all examined physically, they were given pulmonary function test, their arterial blood gas was analyzed and they were given a 6 minute walking test. Modified Borg Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, SF-36 Quality of life Questionnaire and Chronic Respiratuar Disease Questionnaire were completed. One month later the patients were physically examined once more and all the tests were repeated.Results: All the participants of the study in both groups were male and there was no significant difference for the mean age in both groups. According to the basal values of the control group, at the end of the first month, no significant difference was found between the two tests in terms of the the vital findings, symptoms, physical examination findings, pulmonary function test parameters, arteriel blood gas parameters, anxiety and depression scores, SF-36 quality of life questionnaire scores, chronic respiratuar disease questionnaire scores. In the control group, according to basal values, there was a significant increase in the respiratory rate whereas there was a significant decrease in 6 MWT at the end of the first month. In the hydrotherapy group, however, according to the basal values, there were significant decreases in respiratory rate, symptom of sputum, anxiety score; a significant increase in the SpO2 in blood gas, pain and social function scores of SF-36 quality of life questionnaire, scores of dispne, emotional function, the ability of illness control in addition to the cumulative score of the cronic respiratory survey. In the hydrotherapy group there was not a significant difference in the other parameters.Conclusion: Pulmoner rehabilitation in water seems to significantly improve the life qualities of the COPD patients, significantly decreasing their anxiety. Therefore, pulmoner rehabilitation should be a part of the treatment in the patients with the COPD.