Authors : Sunil Sharma , Prabhakar Singh Patel , Aayushi Bansal
DOI : 10.46376/ijmr/05.12.2024:2813-2817
Volume : 5
Issue : 12
Year : 2025
Page No : 2813-2817
Introduction: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is a cornerstone in managing chronic pulmonary diseases, aiming to improve exercise capacity, reduce symptoms, and enhance quality of life. This study evaluates the impact of traditional and enhanced PR techniques in a community setting. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 120 participants diagnosed with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or interstitial lung disease. Participants were divided into two groups: one undergoing traditional PR and the other enhanced PR, which included highintensity interval training and respiratory muscle training. Outcomes were assessed using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ), and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1). Results: The enhanced PR group showed significantly greater improvements in 6MWTdistance (370 ± 45 m vs. 320 ± 40 m, p < 0.001), mMRC dyspnea scores (2.6 ± 0.4 vs. 3.2 ± 0.5, p < 0.01), SGRQ scores (50.2 ± 7.8 vs. 60.4 ± 8.5, p < 0.001), and FEV1 (56 ± 5% vs. 52 ± 6%, p = 0.02) compared to the traditional PR group. Conclusions: Enhanced PR techniques yield superior outcomes compared to traditional approaches in improving exercise capacity, reducing dyspnea, and enhancing quality of life for patients with chronic pulmonary diseases. These findings support integrating advanced modalities into PR programs to optimize patient outcomes. Keywords: Pulmonary rehabilitation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, high intensity interval training, respiratory muscle training, quasi-experimental study.