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Published on: September 16, 2019
Singing Therapy versus Diaphragmatic Breathing for Supragastric Belching: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Haitao Shang1, Huan Ma1, Zhiyue Xu2
1Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (Qingdao Municipal Hospital), Qingdao, China.
Summary
Structured singing therapy offers superior relief for supragastric belching compared to diaphragmatic breathing. This novel approach significantly improves quality of life and reduces symptom severity in patients with belching disorders.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology and Behavioral Medicine
- Psychophysiology of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Therapeutic Interventions for Quality of Life
Background:
- Supragastric belching severely impacts patient quality of life.
- Current guidelines recommend diaphragmatic breathing, but patient adherence can be limited due to monotony.
- Singing therapy presents a potentially more engaging alternative targeting psychophysiological mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of structured singing therapy against diaphragmatic breathing for supragastric belching.
- To evaluate the impact of singing therapy on symptom-related anxiety and depressive responses.
- To assess the psychophysiological mechanisms and patient-reported outcomes in supragastric belching treatment.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 72 patients diagnosed with supragastric belching (Rome IV criteria).
- Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive either structured singing therapy or diaphragmatic breathing.
- Primary outcome: treatment response (≥50% reduction in belching visual analog scale); secondary outcomes: quality of life, anxiety, depression, and symptom severity.
Main Results:
- Singing therapy showed a significantly higher response rate than diaphragmatic breathing both immediately post-treatment (72.2% vs 38.9%) and at 1-month follow-up (50.0% vs 30.6%).
- Singing therapy led to greater improvements in belching symptoms and quality of life, with superiority maintained at follow-up.
- Older age, higher baseline belching severity, and singing therapy were predictors of treatment response.
Conclusions:
- Structured singing therapy is a superior intervention for supragastric belching compared to diaphragmatic breathing.
- The benefits of singing therapy are particularly pronounced in older patients with severe symptoms.
- Singing therapy demonstrates higher treatment acceptability and sustained efficacy in improving quality of life and reducing belching.
