Low Volume Nose Resistance Breathing Exercise With Incentive Spirometer in Patient With Cervical Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal cord injuries (SCI), particularly at the cervical level, often lead to compromised respiratory function due to partial or complete paralysis of respiratory muscles. This impairment significantly affects pulmonary function, increases dyspnea, and reduces overall quality of life. Respiratory complications remain one of the leading causes of morbidity in individuals with cervical SCI.

Various therapeutic approaches, including breathing exercises and assistive devices, have been used to enhance pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation strategies, including breathing exercises and incentive spirometry, are essential in improving respiratory function in this population.

These techniques help enhance lung expansion, improve airway clearance, and reduce the risk of pulmonary complications, thereby supporting better respiratory health and functional outcomes The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of LVNRBE combined with IS on pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters, dyspnea levels, cough effectiveness, and sputum characteristics in patients with cervical SCI undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. The study also aims to compare outcomes between an intervention group receiving incentive spirometry and a control group receiving conventional physiotherapy. This randomized controlled trial will include patients aged 18 to 65 years with cervical SCI (C4-C7), disease duration less than one year, and the ability to give informed consent. Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. Group A (intervention group) will perform nasal resistance breathing exercises with incentive spirometer for 20 minutes daily 3 time, five times per week, over a period of four weeks. Group B (control group) will receive conventional respiratory physiotherapy three time per week over a period of four weeks without the device. Baseline and post-intervention (week 4) data will be collected using pulmonary function tests (PFTs), a dyspnea scale (modified Borg), cough (Cough frequency scale) and sputum grading questionnaire. Data will be analyzed using paired and independent t-tests to assess within-group and between-group differences, with significance set at p < 0.05. The data will be analyzed using SPSS v 25.