None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a commonly inherited genetic disorder affecting numerous bodily systems, with great impact on the respiratory system including thoracic muscles. Although musculoskeletal problems such as back pain appear to be common in CF patients, there has been little research conducted to investigate the efficacy of musculoskeletal techniques such as stretching in this population. Cystic fibrosis patients are invited to take part in a study to investigate the effects of stretching exercises on quality of life. Background You will be invited to attend one session, lasting 60 minutes at the Department of Physiotherapy, Prince Charles Hospital, where a physiotherapist will assess the following: 1.How much air you can breathe out in 1 second, repeated up to 6 times 2.Amount of movement you have in your arms, using a device to measure angles 3.How much you move your upper, middle and lower chest during breathing, by placing a tape measure around your chest and asking you to breathe in and out 3 times. 4.Measuring the curve of your thoracic spine by placing a soft mouldable ruler over your spine while standing 5.Fill out a questionnaire containing questions regarding your quality of life. 6.Fill out a questionnaire containing questions how your pain affects your daily tasks After the 1st session, you will be randomly allocated to one of the following groups. Arm stretches group: This involves completing a series of stretches for your arms and trunk over the 6 week period. Your physiotherapist will show you these exercises. You will be asked to do these once a day over the study period and complete a diary of how many exercises you performed each day. Leg stretches group: This involves completing a series of stretches for your legs over the 6 week period. Your physiotherapist will show you these exercises. You will be asked to do these once a day over the study period and complete a diary of how many exercises you performed each day. At the end of the 6 week period, you will be asked to attend another visit to repeat the above measures. Benefits Your participation in the study is not likely to benefit you directly but may assist in the development of future rehabilitation programs for patients with cystic fibrosis.
Interventions
The treatment group will undertake stretches of the pectoralis muscles, latissimus dorsi and lower trapezius muscles. A static stretch will be held for 30 seconds and then repeated twice. They will also complete thoracic extension and thoracic rotation exercises using the back of a chair, each stretch held for 30 seconds and repeated twice. The stretches will be taught to the patients by a physiotherapist and then performed independantly daily for 6 weeks.
Sponsors
Health Practitioner Research Scheme
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria 1. diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis 2. 18 years 3. FEV1 = 40% predicted or above 4. clinically stable 5. lung function > 90% of the mean outpatient FEV1 recording over the last 6 months 6. > 2 weeks post completion of last antibiotics for a pulmonary infection
Exclusion criteria
1. Below 40% FEV1 predicted 2. loss of clinical stability of their condition 3. long-term high dose prednisone 4. changes in activities, exercise programme or physiotherapy treatment within the past week 5. shoulder dysfunction 6. recent fractures or injury to the ribs, clavicle or upper limb 7. recurrent subluxation or dislocation or dislocation of either shoulder 8. inability to form isometric contraction 9.connective tissue disorders (eg Ehlos Danlos syndrome) 10. ischaemic heart disease 11. uncontrolled hypertension 12. systemic disease affecting muscles and joints eg Rheumatoid arthritis and CF related arthritis 13. recent chest or abdominal surgery 14. pregnancy 15. acute musculoskeletal pain requiring active physiotherapy/musculoskeletal treatment
Outcome results
None listed