Karagiannis C1, Savva C1, Mamais I1, Ploutarchou G1, Adamide T2, Georgiou A2, Xanthos T3
1European University Cyprus, Health Science, Nicosia, Cyprus, 2Respiratory Clinic, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus, 3European University Cyprus, School of Medicine, Nicosia, Cyprus
Background: Upper limbs activities, such as cooking or driving, were restricted in chronic obstruction pulmonary disease patients, because of the occurrence of hyperinflation and dyspnea. Although upper limb exercise training is not reported in recent statements for pulmonary rehabilitation, it is used in several pulmonary rehabilitation programs in order to improve upper limb function. One of the most important goals of rehabilitation should be the improvement in Activities of Daily Living performance with upper limbs, as it could affect patients' ability for self care. The knowledge of the effects of upper limb exercise training on activities of daily living will help these patients and also health care providers that involved in pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
Purpose: The purpose of the present systematic review is to investigate the efficacy of upper limb exercise training in activities of daily life performance with upper limbs, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used for this systematic review. PubMed, CINAHL Plus and Sports Discus were searched, from inception to July 2018, for randomized controlled trials of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who underwent upper limb exercise training, compared with other types of exercise or no exercise and assessed activities of daily living performance with upper limbs. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale.
Results: Five studies, with a total sample of 173 subjects, met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was ranged between 4 to 9 (over 10), with mean score 6,4. The results of the selected studies have shown that upper limb exercise training is safe for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in some cases, could provide significant improvements in upper limbs activities of daily living compared with no upper limb exercise training. However, there are also some contradictory results in activities of daily living among studies. The small number of studies and their weaknesses in methodology do not allow for firm conclusions.
Conclusion(s): There are contradictory results about the effectiveness of upper limb exercise training in upper limbs activities of daily living in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Further investigation is needed through well-designed randomized trials to determine the effectiveness of this kind of exercise in activities of daily living with upper limbs.
Implications: According to the results of the current review upper limb exercise training seems to be a safe therapeutic approach for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in some cases, could significantly improve upper limbs activities of daily life. It is recommended that upper limb exercise training should be part of pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Upper Limbs, Activities of Daily Life
Funding acknowledgements: None
Purpose: The purpose of the present systematic review is to investigate the efficacy of upper limb exercise training in activities of daily life performance with upper limbs, in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.
Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used for this systematic review. PubMed, CINAHL Plus and Sports Discus were searched, from inception to July 2018, for randomized controlled trials of adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who underwent upper limb exercise training, compared with other types of exercise or no exercise and assessed activities of daily living performance with upper limbs. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale.
Results: Five studies, with a total sample of 173 subjects, met the inclusion criteria. The quality of the studies was ranged between 4 to 9 (over 10), with mean score 6,4. The results of the selected studies have shown that upper limb exercise training is safe for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in some cases, could provide significant improvements in upper limbs activities of daily living compared with no upper limb exercise training. However, there are also some contradictory results in activities of daily living among studies. The small number of studies and their weaknesses in methodology do not allow for firm conclusions.
Conclusion(s): There are contradictory results about the effectiveness of upper limb exercise training in upper limbs activities of daily living in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients. Further investigation is needed through well-designed randomized trials to determine the effectiveness of this kind of exercise in activities of daily living with upper limbs.
Implications: According to the results of the current review upper limb exercise training seems to be a safe therapeutic approach for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and in some cases, could significantly improve upper limbs activities of daily life. It is recommended that upper limb exercise training should be part of pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Keywords: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Upper Limbs, Activities of Daily Life
Funding acknowledgements: None
Topic: Cardiorespiratory
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: None
Ethics committee: None
Reason not required: It is a systematic review
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
