Acute Effects After Stretching Respiratory Muscles on Ventilatory Pattern and Volume Distribution of Chest Wall

All study protocol will be performing in three different days. In the first day, the participants will undergo to the initial assessment, which consisted of anamnesis and anthropometric measurements: weight, height and body mass index (BMI). Then, they will be submitting to spirometry and respiratory muscle pressure using a manovacuometer.

All patients will submit underwent two types of intervention: respiratory muscles stretching (RMS) and remain at rest (control group). The stretching will occur throughout the expiratory phase to allow respiratory muscles to reach their maximal length, and two sets with 10 consecutive incursions will use for each stretching pattern with an interval of 30 seconds between series.

For the intervention in the control group, all volunteers will be position at rest in a comfortable in a chair during 20 minutes.

Inclusion criteria

• patients post-stroke with right hemiparesis no more than 3 months, from both sexes, aged above 20 years, score between 1 and 3 according to Ashworth Scale for upper limbs, score above 85 according to Barthel Index and a minimum punctuation of 18 for Mini Mental State Examination.

Exclusion criteria

• Volunteers presenting facial paralysis; rheumatic or orthopedic diseases; spinal abnormalities or deformities that compromise the respiratory mechanics; spirometry with forced expired volume in the first second (FEV1) bellow 80% from predicted values and FEV1∕forced vital capacity (FVC) ≤ .7; presenting respiratory comorbidities; recent history of thoracic or abdominal surgery; hemodynamic instability or pregnancy.