Partial relaxation of diaphragm and lung function parameters

The present study investigates the effect of partial relaxation of diaphragm on the lung functions in the absence of active lung and neuromuscular disorders. Comprehensive functional tests of the breathing was performed on 22 subjects with partial relaxation of the diaphragm (elevated hemidiaphragm) found during an X-ray study on the occasion of gastrointestinal disorder. On the basis of the results of two group of patients, one with ventilatory disorders (n = 9-4 men and 5 women) and another with normal lung ventilation (n = 13-7 men and 6 women) the conclusion was drawn that in the absence of additional pathology the partial relaxation of the diaphragm does not causes any changes in the lung function parameters with the exception of the tendency towards low values of the parameters for the respiratory muscle strength (PImax and PEmax).