Effect of resistive inspiratory muscle training optimizing lung function in spinal cord injury.

Abstract

Background: Respiratory dysfunction is a serious issue in cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), leading to poor lung function and reduced quality of life. Resistive Inspiratory Muscle Training (RIMT) may help strengthen respiratory muscles and improve outcomes. Objective: This RCT evaluated the effectiveness of RIMT on respiratory function, breathing difficulty, and quality of life in cervical SCI patients. Methods: Twenty cervical SCI patients (C3–C7) received either RIMT plus physiotherapy or physiotherapy alone, with 20 supervised sessions over one month. Primary outcomes were Inspiratory Capacity (IC), Peak Expiratory Flow (PEF), and Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV₁). Secondary outcomes included breathlessness and quality of life measured by Modified Borg Scale and SF-12. Results: The RIMT group showed significant improvements in IC (1.18 ± 0.30 L to 1.42 ± 0.34 L) and PEF compared to controls (p ≤ 0.05). FEV₁ did not change significantly. Dyspnea decreased significantly (4.5 to 3.2; p = 0.034), with better energy/fatigue scores on SF-12 (p = 0.046). No adverse events occurred. Conclusions: Adding RIMT to physiotherapy provides modest lung function and breathlessness improvements and some quality of life benefits in cervical SCI. It is a safe, cost-effective intervention, though larger and longer studies are needed to confirm these findings. Keywords: Cervical cord injury, Resistive Inspiratory Muscle Training (RIMT), Respiratory function, Rehabilitation, Pulmonary health