REMOTELY GUIDED BREATHING EXERCISES FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC PAIN

M. Puhakka¹, R. Pentti¹, K. Kauranen¹

¹LAB University of Applied Sciences, Department of Social and Health Care, Lappeenranta, Finland

Background: The knowledge of pain and its origins has changed a lot in recent decades. Many new methods of pain management have also been found during last years. According to the latest survey of the Finnish population, 35% of Finns aged 15–74 have experienced pain lasting at least three months. Globally the prevalence of pain in adults is 20 % and 10 % of them are diagnosed with chronic pain each year. This means that chronic pain is a common problem. Pain affects many aspects of life, like ability to move, social life, quality of sleeping and activities of daily living. We can increase the activity of parasympathetic nervous system with calm diaphragm breathing exercises. Longer exhales decreases activity of sympathetic nervous system. People with chronic pain often need understanding and support from their families, and the spouse participating in the exercises could strengthen this aspect.

Purpose: The purpose of this this study was to research whether breathing exercises affect chronic pain. The second research question was whether the spouse participating in the exercises would affect the pain of the participant. In addition, the suitability of remote communication for instruction of breathing exercises was studied. This research has been done in collaboration with Suomen Kipu, which is the organization that provides information and support in Finnish to everyone affected by chronic pain.

Methods: Participants applied via social media of Suomen Kipu. Participants were between the ages of 25-55 and they had experienced pain for over three months during last year. The study consisted of two study groups. In the individual group, participants did the exercises alone, and in the pair group they trained together with their spouses. Data were gathered by two web surveys. The study intervention lasted for six weeks, during which participants took part in a weekly virtual therapy session. In addition to this, they were given a recorded exercise to do at home, which was recommended to be completed twice a week.

Results: The pain readings did not change during interventions (p>.05). The participation of spouses was perceived as a positive experience in the pair group. Participants reported that doing breathing exercises with remote instruction worked understandable and participants were satisfied on the average. Participants in the pair group experienced that practicing with their spouses relieved their pain.

Conclusions: Based on the results, breathing exercises do not have an effect on chronic pain. Remote instruction is a usable option for breathing exercises. In the treatment of chronic pain it is important to also take the spouses into consideration. That way they could better understand their partners who suffer from chronic pain.

Implications: In the future, remote communication can also be used to control breathing exercises for groups of at least 10 people. The possibility of sound recording could be utilized more in practical work because in the participants opinion recorded home exercises were understandable. It would be a good idea to give spouses the opportunity to take part in chronic treatment, so that they can better understand and support their spouse's pain.

Funding acknowledgements: The work was unfunded.

Keywords:
Breathing exercise
Chronic pain
Remote rehabilitation

Topics:
Pain & pain management
Education: clinical

Did this work require ethics approval? Yes

Institution: LAB University of Applied Sciences, Lappeenranta, Finland

Committee: Ethical Committee of LAB University of Applied Sciences

Ethics number: 84/12.01.01.00/2022