Research Summary

Chest Mobility Exercises Improve Pulmonary Function More Than PNF Stretching in COPD

Miranda Manier, BA

Key Highlights

  • In a randomized trial of 60 patients with moderate COPD, both chest mobility exercises and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching improved pulmonary function, exercise tolerance, and chest expansion.
  • Chest mobility exercises produced greater improvements than PNF stretching, including larger gains in FEV1, FVC, and 6-minute walk distance.
  • Findings support incorporating structured chest mobility exercises into pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD.

A randomized clinical trial compared the effects of chest mobility exercises versus proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on pulmonary function and functional capacity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Both interventions improved outcomes, but chest mobility exercises demonstrated superior benefits across several key measures, supporting their use in pulmonary rehabilitation.

Chest wall expansion is central to effective breathing mechanics, and limitations in rib cage mobility and respiratory muscle function contribute to reduced pulmonary capacity in COPD. Targeted exercise interventions may enhance chest expansion and improve respiratory efficiency, offering nonpharmacologic strategies to complement standard COPD management. This study directly compared two common therapeutic approaches—chest mobility exercises and PNF stretching—to determine their relative impact on lung function and exercise tolerance.

Sixty patients aged 40–50 years with moderate COPD (GOLD II) were randomized into two equal groups: Group A received chest mobility exercises and Group B received PNF stretching. Each group participated in seven treatment sessions. Outcomes assessed included pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC), exercise tolerance via the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), symptom burden using the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), dyspnea severity via a visual analog scale (VAS), and chest expansion measurements. Statistical analysis employed unpaired t-tests, the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to assess within- and between-group effects.

Both groups experienced improvements across all measured outcomes after the intervention. However, patients in the chest mobility exercise group demonstrated greater gains. Mean improvements in pulmonary function included FEV1 increase of 2.5 (95% CI, 1.6–3.6) and FVC increase of 3.7 (95% CI, 1.6–5.7). Functional capacity improved with a mean 6MWT gain of 30.3 m (95% CI, 19–41.6; P = .001). Improvements were also noted in dyspnea scores, CAT scores, and chest expansion, with the chest mobility group outperforming the PNF group in magnitude of change.

As Zakaria and colleagues concluded, “Both chest mobility exercises and PNF stretching could improve functional capacity and pulmonary functions in COPD patients.”

Reference
Zakaria I, Serry ZMH, Soliman YMA, Aziz MM, Mohamed MI, Guirguis SA. Chest mobility exercises versus proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A randomized trial. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2025;44:400-408. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2025.05.057