EFFICACY OF INSPIRATORY MUSCLE TRAINING ASSOCIATED WITH MANUAL TECHNIQUES IN INDIVIDUALS WITH GERD

Volunteers allocated to the Sham group will receive proton pump inhibitor medication at a standard dose of 20 mg Participants will perform home-based IMT with a moderate load set at 50% of maximal inspiratory pressure (PImáx), adjusted weekly during in-person sessions at LACAP-UFPE. Training will use the Powerbreathe® Classic Light device, provided to participants for the study duration. The protocol includes three cycles of 10 explosive respiratory incursions, with one-minute rest intervals, performed twice daily for eight weeks. Participants will record perceived exertion (Borg scale) and any occurrences in a training log.

Volunteers allocated to the group will receive proton pump inhibitor medication at a standard dose of 20 mg.

The IMT protocol will be the same as in Group 1. Intervention: IMT Combined with Manual Techniques (MTLES & DRT) The IMT protocol follows Group 1. DRT (Rocha et al., 2015) involves manual traction during inspiration and deepened contact during expiration, applied in two sets of ten deep breaths. MTLES (Eguaras et al., 2019) is performed with the patient seated, applying epigastric pressure to access the lower esophageal sphincter through coordinated flexion-inspiration and extension-expiration for 5 minutes.

Volunteers allocated to the Sham group will receive proton pump inhibitor medication at a standard dose of 20 mg, as prescribed for other participants. They will undergo a simulated treatment protocol, including inspiratory muscle training (IMT) without load to mimic device use and manual techniques where the therapist places hands on the intervention area without performing actual manipulation.