Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Patients With Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive, fibrotic interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive dyspnoea, reduced exercise capacity, quality of life, and classified as a rare disease. With the increase in medical treatment options, the progression of the disease slows down. Increased time of survival has increased the need for pulmonary rehabilitation programs that have been shown to be effective in patients' exercise capacity, participation in daily living activities, and improvement in the quality of life. Patients with IPF have been shown to be able to improve dyspnoea, fatigue, exercise capacity, daily living activities and quality of life with home-based or supervised breathing, posture, strengthening and aerobic/endurance exercise programs.

Pulmonary rehabilitation should be initiated and lifelong at the time of diagnosis for patients with IPF. However, the symptoms of the disease and its progression limit clinical options in terms of participation and sustainability in rehabilitation programs. For this purpose, patients with IPF need physiotherapy and rehabilitation options that will not increase the symptoms associated with exercise and contribute to the program in the long term. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is a rehabilitation option that can be applied to specific muscle groups without the ventilator and cardiac load especially in patients who can not actively exercise or have decreased muscle strength. In adult patients with an advanced disease characterized by reduced muscle strength, the use of NMES in addition to aerobic exercise programs is recommended as part of rehabilitation programs. In the literature, no studies investigating the efficacy of NMES have been found in individuals with IPF or interstitial lung disease. NMES application in addition to aerobic exercise seems to be a reasonable option when considering the symptoms of patients with IPF and the progression of the disease. The aim of this project is to investigate the efficacy of NMES in addition to aerobic exercise in IPF patients based on evidence by objective methods.

Inclusion criteria

• A diagnosis of IPF according to current ATS / ERS guidelines has been followed by a pulmonary specialist for at least 6 months
• Patients who are clinically stable, have no flare or infection.

Exclusion criteria

• Orthopedic and neurological problems that may interfere with exercise training,
• Modification of medical treatment during the study,
• Unstable cardiac diseases,
• Participation in another pulmonary rehabilitation program over the past 12 months,
• Inadequate cooperation,
• Contraindications for the application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (risk of embolism, neoplasm, infection in the region of application, pacemaker, sensory defect).