EFFECT OF COMBINED CHEST MOBILIZATION WITH PHYSICAL THERAPY TREATMENT ON CHEST EXPANSION AND PAIN IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING LOBECTOMY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

The objective of this study is to compare the effects of combined chest mobilization with physical therapy treatment on chest expansion, pain and functional capacity among patients undergoing a lobectomy. The thirty-six patients with lobectomies were randomly divided into two groups, the control (n=18) and experimental groups (n=18). All patients received standard physical therapy treatment, including breathing exercises, cough/huff training, shoulder range of motion exercise, and early mobilization. The experimental group received chest mobilization combined with physical therapy treatment. The hemi-thorax chest expansion and pain score were measured on the preoperative day and the first to the third of the postoperative days. The six-minute walk test was measured on both preoperative and discharge days. The data were analyzed using two-way mixed ANOVA. The significant difference level was set at P<0.05 and the results showed that the chest expansion on operated and non-operated sides of both the control and experimental groups significantly decreased on the first postoperative day (P<0.05), gradually increased and nearly reached the baseline on the third postoperative day. Only the lower chest expansion on the non-operated side returned to baseline on the third postoperative day for both groups (P<0.05). A moderate-to-severe postoperative pain was found on the first operative day among groups and the pain score was reduced on the second and the third postoperative days (P<0.05). The six-minute walk distance represented functional capacity was significantly decreased after the lobectomy (P<0.05). All of the variables revealed a non-significant difference between the control and experimental groups. The conclusion of this study was that combined chest mobilization with physical therapy treatment was not more effective than standard physical therapy treatment on chest expansion, pain and functional capacity in the early period after lobectomy.

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