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NCT Number: NCT07518472

Additional Effects of Box Breathing Technique With Short Term Pulmonary Rehabilitation on Dyspnea and Functional Capacity in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease is progressive and irreversible respiratory condition characterized by persistent airflow limitation leading to dyspnea and reduced functional capacity.

Pulmonary rehabilitation along with different technqiues of breathing exercises reduces dyspnea and enhance functional capacity by improving ventilatory efficiency, respiratory muscle control and overall exercise tolerance in patients with COPD.

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Key information

Conditions

Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive (COPD) Chronic Disease Disease Attributes Dyspnea Lung Diseases Lung Diseases, Obstructive Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive Respiration Disorders Respiratory Tract Diseases Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory

Age range

40 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Chronic Obstructive pulmonary Disease is a progressive and irreversible respiratory condition characterized by persistent airflow limitation leading to dyspnea and reduced functional capacity.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation, a cornerstone in COPD management helps to reduce dyspnea and improve functional capacity. Although long-term PR programs yield sustained benefits, shorter-duration PR (e.g., 3-week interventions) may offer greater feasibility and higher patient adherence.

Total 40 participants will be allocated into two groups. Group A will be provided with short term Pulmonary rehabilitation along with pharmacological management and group B will be given additional Box breathing along with short term pulmonary rehabilitation The objective of this study is to determine the additional effects of Box breathing technique with short term pulmonary rehabilitation versus short term pulmonary rehabilitation alone on Dyspnea, Functional capacity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age between 40-65 years
  • Both genders (male and female)
  • Grade 1-3 on mMRC scale of dyspnea
  • COPD mild stage according to global initiative for chronic obstructive lung -disease (GOLD) classification; Mild = FEV1 greater than or equal to 80% predicted

Exclusion criteria

  • Patients having acute exerbation of COPD
  • Patients diagnosed with acute infection (pmeumonia, T.B)
  • Any orthopedic or neuromuscular condition that hinders participation in exercise training program
  • Patients unable to follow command and instructions

Treatment and study plan

Short term Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Other

Patients in this group will receive short term pulmonary rehabilitation along with pharmacological management.

A total of 3 weeks protocol will be followed in which 2 seesions per week will be supervised by physiotherapist.

Short term pulmonary rehabilitation includes:

Warm-up(5-7min): light walking Aerobic training: mild-moderate intensity (40-60% of MHR) cycling or walk on treadmill/over ground Strength training: Exercises for major muscle groups (upper limb, lower limb and trunk) using body weight based on 1RM.

Upper limb: upright row, shoulder press, bicep curls Lower limb: sit-to-stand, mini knee lifts, 3 steps calf raises Core: Seated abdominal contraction, back extension Perform 1-2 sets of 5-10 repetitions for each exercise, resting 1-2 mins between sets.

Breathing exercise: pursed-lip breathing (1-3 sets of 5-10 reps) Cool down: (5-10min) Pharmacological management: Patient will receive medications as per prescribed by pulmonologist

Box breathing with short term pulmonary rehabilitation

Other

Patients in this group will receive box breathing with short term pulmonary rehabilitation along with pharmacological management. A total 3 weeks protocol will be followed in which 2 sessions per week will be supervised by physiotherapist and box breathing will be performed daily.

Patient will receive short term pulmonary rehabilitation including:

Warm -up (5-7 min): light walking Aerobic training: mild-moderate intensity (40-60%of MHR) cycling or walk on treadmill/over ground.

Strength training: Exercises for major muscle groups (upper limb, lower limb and trunk) using body weight based on 1RM.

Upper limb: upright row, shoulder press, bicep curls Lower limb: sit-to-stand, mini knee lifts, 3 steps calf raises Core: seated abdominal contractions, back extensions Perform 1-2 sets of 5-10 repetitions for each exercise resting 1-2 min between sets.

Breathing exercise: pursed-lip breathing (1-3 sets of 5 -10 repetitions) Cool down: (5-10 min) Box breathing: The patient will be instructed

Primary outcomes

  1. Dyspnea

    Time frame: 03 weeks

    Evaluation will be performed using the Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) Dyspnea Scale, a clinician-administered scale ranging from 0 to 4, where:

    0 indicates breathlessness only with strenuous exercise 4 indicates severe breathlessness (too breathless to leave the house or breathless while dressing) Higher scores represent worse dyspnea severity and poorer functional status.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Functional Capacity

    Time frame: 03 weeks

    Evaluation will be done by using 6 minute walk test

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Fanila Tamdeen, MSPT-CPT

CONTACT

[email protected]

+923185085604

Zara Khalid, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

+92333-5415822

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Foundation University Islamabad

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 8, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 8, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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