Does the Aquatic Breathing Program Improve Lung Function in Adolescents with Scoliosis?

Abstract

Aim: To determine pulmonary parameters in adolescents with scoliosis after three weeks of intensive physiotherapeutic scoliosis-specific exercises based on the Aquatic Breathing Program (ABP) compared to corrective swimming (CS).Methods: A pretest-posttest control group design was used. The ABP group comprised 13 adolescents (age 14.2 ± 1.4) and the CS group 10 adolescents (age 14.1 ± 1.5) with mild to moderate scoliosis. Both groups participated in a threeweek intervention consisted of three types of exercises: corrective, general and aquatic. ABP group participated in the Aquatic Breathing Program and CS group took part in corrective swimming. Spirometric measurements were taken before and after the intervention.Results: ABP group demonstrated a greater increase (p = .05) in the predicted percentage values of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV₁) and maximal expiratory flow at 25% of forced vital capacity (MEF₂₅), both in absolute terms and in percentage values (MEF₂₅%pred) compared to the CS group. CS group exhibited lower values of all measured parameters in the second examination, and some of those differences were found to be statistically significant.Conclusions: The Aquatic Breathing Program can be used in adolescents with mild to moderate scoliosis to improve lung function.

Keywords: Aquatic breathing program; aquatic therapy; respiratory muscles; scoliosis; spirometry.