The effect of manual therapy and exercise on age-related lung function: study protocol for a randomised controlled...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Respiratory Medicine
• Physiotherapy

Background:

• Aging leads to anatomical and physiological changes, including thoracic spine stiffening, reduced chest wall compliance, and declining lung function, starting as early as age 40.
• These age-related changes can impact respiratory health and may be mistaken for early signs of disease, influencing management strategies.
• Manual therapy interventions show potential to mitigate these age-related changes, improving thoracic compliance and lung function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if manual therapy can mitigate age-related declines in lung function.
• To determine if different forms of manual therapy (mobilization vs. manipulation) yield different effects on lung function.
• To assess the impact of manual therapy combined with exercise on respiratory health in healthy adults.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 372 healthy participants aged 50-65 years with no history of respiratory disease.
• Three groups: treadmill exercise (Ex), thoracic spine and rib joint mobilization plus exercise (MB + Ex), and thoracic spine and rib joint manipulation plus exercise (MT + Ex).
• Interventions administered six times over 3 weeks; primary outcomes: forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC); secondary outcomes: chest wall expansion and quality of life.

Main Results:

• This section is not available in the provided abstract.

Conclusions:

• This is the first fully powered randomized controlled trial designed to test the hypothesis that manual therapy can mitigate age-related lung function decline in healthy males and females aged 50-65.
• The study aims to provide evidence on the efficacy of different manual therapy approaches in improving respiratory function in this age group.