Abstract
This study examined the effects of ankle passive movement on lung function in healthy adults. A pre-test post-test experimental design was used. Passive plantar and dorsiflexion of the ankle were performed at 60 repetitions per minute on 60 healthy subjects in the supine position. Lung function at rest was compared to that during passive movements. The results indicated that all measured parameters including the breathing frequency, tidal volume, minute ventilation, oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide output, increased significantly during passive movements as compared to those at rest. The authors conclude that passive movements elicit a significant ventilatory increase in healthy human subjects. The effect of passive movements in the treatment of unconscious or diseased individuals should be investigated.
Highlights
Passive movements are commonly used by physiotherapists to improve or main tain the circulation in paralysed con scious or unconscious patients (Kisner and Colby, 1990a)
In the present study the authors attempted to compare the changes in lung function at rest to those during the cutaneous stimulation and passive movement of the ankle
Breathing frequency (Fb), tidal volume (Vt), minute ventilation (Ve), oxygen consumption and CO2 outputs increased significantly during passive movements as well as the cuta neous stimulation compared to the rest phase, with no significant difference in the above pulmonary variables among different genders
Summary
Passive movements are commonly used by physiotherapists to improve or main tain the circulation in paralysed con scious or unconscious patients (Kisner and Colby, 1990a). Anecdotal information relating to the effects of passive movements as described above is readily available and well known. The effects of passive move ments in enhancing lung function in either conscious or unconscious patients is not known. The effects of active exercise on lung function have been well documented (C om roeetal, 1943; Dejours et al, 1959; Ishida et al, 1993 and Jensen, 1972). Jensen (1972) showed that within 20 seconds of voluntary exercise, the tran sient ventilatory responses during arm work were greater than those during legwork. Other researchers (Davies and Sargeant, 1974; Sawka, 1986 and Celli et al, 1988) reported that the accessory inspiratory muscles became activated when the upper torso and arm were posi tioned during the unsupported arm exer cise and caused a change in ventilation
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