Intercostal and Thoracic Cage Stretching on Chest Expansion , Dyspnea ,Oxygen Saturation in Asthma

December 29, 2025 updated by: Riphah International University

Comparative Effects of Intercostal and Thoracic Cage Stretching on Chest Expansion, Dyspnea, Oxygen Saturation in Asthma Patients

The rationale of this study is to clarify distinct role of these two stretching techniques in pulmonary rehabilitation. Insight gained from this research could provide evidence based recommendations for implementing these therapeutic approaches, aiming to optimize symptoms in asthma patients. so improved respiratory function and muscular flexibility can empower individuals with asthma to better manage their condition, weakening of muscles, airflow obstruction , reduce the effort required for daily activities and engage more fully in physical and everyday tasks thereby enhancing overall quality of life.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder characterized by the inflammation and constriction of the airways, resulting in recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. This condition often results in the weakening and atrophy of muscles, particularly the key areas impacted include the respiratory muscles like intercostal muscles, muscles in the chest, shoulders, thoracic become weaker due to decreased physical activity. Stretching exercises can offer several benefits for individuals with asthma by improving overall lung function, enhancing muscle strength, and promoting relaxation. The objective of this study will be to evaluate the effects of intercostal and thoracic cage stretching on chest expansion, dyspnea, and oxygen saturation in asthma patients.

This study will be conducted as a randomized clinical trial with enrollment of 56 participants, that will divided equally into two groups. Group A will receive intercostal muscle stretching like lateral side bending stretch, torso rotational stretch, (4x\week) or Group B will undergo thoracic cage stretching like overhead arm chest stretch, chest opener stretch,(4x\week) .Study will be conducted for four weeks at sheikh zaid hospital Lahore, involving asthma patients both male and female. Key outcome measures will include chest expansion assessed using tape measure, dyspnea via Borg category scale, oxygen saturation via pulse oximeter. The non-probability convenient sampling technique, followed by random allocation using a lottery method ensure diverse yet unbiased sample. Pre, Post values will be noted. Data will be entered and analyzed by SPSS version 25 after checking normality of the data. Parametric and non-parametric test will be applied. Statistical significance will be set at P=0.05.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

56

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
      • Lahore, Pakistan
        • Sehat medical complex hanjerwal

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria: Both males and females ,Diagnosed asthma patients ,All patients must have variable respiratory symptoms (cough, wheeze, shortness of breath, and/or chest tightness),All patients have to be clinically stable (ie, no exacerbations or changes in medication for the last 4 weeks before enrollment, sedentary life (doing <60 min of physical activity per week)

Exclusion Criteria: Other respiratory disease , Any orthopedic limitations ,Pediatric population ,Uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension ,Cardiovascular condition, pregnancy ,Smokers/ex-smokers

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: intercostal stretching
initially all patients will receive hotpack for 10-15 min then intercostal stretching will performed by them
Other: intercostal stretching
intercostal stretching involve Sessions 4 times per week ,Intensity Stretch to the point of mild discomfort, but not pain. The goal is to feel a gentle stretch in the muscles being targeted, promoting flexibility without risking injury. Duration of Sessions: Each session should last about 30-40 minutes. Exercise Duration: Each exercise should involve 10repetitions ,Hold stretch for 10-30 sec. sets: 1-2, Rest for 1- 2 minutes between these two exercises. Types :lateral side bend stretch and torso rotational stretch
Experimental: Thoracic cage stretching
initially all patients will receive hotpack for 10-15 min then intercostal stretching will performed by them
Other: thoracic cage stretching
thoracic cage stretching involve Sessions 4 times per week ,Intensity Stretch to the point of mild discomfort, but not pain. The goal is to feel a gentle stretch in the muscles being targeted, promoting flexibility without risking injury. Duration of Sessions: Each session should last about 30-40 minutes. Exercise Duration: Each exercise should involve 10repetitions ,Hold stretch for 10-30 sec. sets: 1-2, Rest for 1- 2 minutes between these two exercises. Types :chest opener stretch and overhead arm chest stretch

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
chest expansion
Time Frame: 4 week
To measure chest expansion, we used a plastic tape measure. Stand straight with your arms relaxed at your sides, ideally wearing minimal clothing. First, measure your chest at rest by wrapping the tape around the widest part, under the armpits, across the nipples and at the level of xiphoid process, ensuring it's snug but not tight. Take this measurement after a normal exhalation. Next, for maximum expansion, take a deep breath and fully expand your chest, then measure again in the same spot at full inhalation. To find your chest expansion, subtract the resting measurement from the expanded measurement. It's best to repeat the process for accuracy,
4 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
dyspnea
Time Frame: for 4 weeks
The Borg Category Scale for dyspnea is a valuable tool for assessing breathlessness in asthma patients, ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no breathlessness and 10 represents maximal breathlessness. This scale enables patients to communicate their level of discomfort during various activities. During the study, participants were asked to rate their dyspnea before and after performing the exercises, providing a clear indication of any changes in their respiratory comfort. So we gained comprehensive insights into the effectiveness of the interventions in asthma patients.
for 4 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
oxygen saturation
Time Frame: 4 week
A pulse oximeter is a device that measures the oxygen saturation level in the blood (SpO₂) and the pulse rate. It works by emitting light through a person's fingertip or earlobe, analyzing how much light is absorbed by oxygenated and deoxygenated blood, and then estimating the blood's oxygen percentage.In this study for oxygen saturation we measured readings pre and post intervention with pulse oximeter to check effects of techniques applied on asthma patients.
4 week

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Riffat Malik malik, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

April 17, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 17, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

December 17, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

December 29, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 29, 2025

First Posted (Estimated)

January 12, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

January 12, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

December 29, 2025

Last Verified

December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • S24C14G36006

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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