Multifactorial Inspiratory Muscle Training in Patients With Diabetic Polyneuropathy: A Qualitative Study

The aim of this descriptive qualitative study was to explore the patient's perspective of multifactorial home-based inspiratory muscle training (IMT) combined with group-based Otago Exercise Program (OEP) to bridge the gap of the experiences and perceptions of diabetes polyneuropathy patients regarding home-based multifactorial IMT intervention. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 patients using thematic analysis. The patients' interviews were transcribed verbatim in Urdu, translated into English, and then coded into relevant themes. Three key themes emerged, including perception regarding quality of life, facilitators, and barriers to intervention. The patients reported improvement in their quality of life perceived through improvement in their physical and mental health as well as their functional independence, while improvement in shortness of breath and walking capacity, discomfort, initial difficulty in usage and distraction in the home environment were the key barriers. A multifactorial IMT intervention was perceived to have positive effects on the physical, mental, and emotional health of diabetes patients. These findings highlight the importance of multifactorial IMT interventions for patients with diabetic polyneuropathy and suggest tailoring interventions and physical therapies to address the barriers and facilitators to enhance the likelihood of successful training outcomes.