Chronic respiratory disease
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Volitional pursed lips breathing in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease improves exercise capacity.
Pursed lips breathing (PLB) is used by a proportion of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to alleviate dyspnea. It is also commonly used in pulmonary rehabilitation. Data to support its use in patients who do not spontaneously adopt PLB are limited. ⋯ The improvement was greater in patients who had poorer baseline exercise performance. PLB has an acute benefit on exercise capacity. Sustained PLB or short bursts of PLB may improve exercise capacity in stable COPD.