Efeito do treinamento muscular inspiratório associado à bandagem neuromuscular na capacidade pulmonar em idosos institucionalizados

Abstract

Introduction: It is estimated that in 2050 the world’s elderly population will reach the 2 billion mark, and that the Brazilian population will be of approximately 64 million individuals. By 2025, Brazil will be the sixth country in the world in the number of elderly people. The aging process is natural and promotes several morphophysiological alterations in the body’s systems, including the respiratory. The most important alterations that occur in this system are the reduction of pulmonary elastic recoil, of rib cage compliance and of respiratory muscle strength. The weakness of the respiratory muscles results in the inability of these muscles to generate normal leves of pressure and air flow, which can cause dyspnea and intolerance to efforts and difficulties for the elderly to perform the common daily activities, in addition to the predisposition to respiratory diseases – the main cause of elderly’s hospitaliation in Brazil, and the third leading cause of death worldwide for this population. The institutionalization is seen as limiting for elders’ autonomy, and as an enhancer of the deleterious effects of aging. The Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) aims at the strengthening of the inspiratory muscles; the Neuromuscular Bandage (NMB) has been applied to the respiratory muscles to stimulate their contraction and to improve the lung function in the elderly. Objective: To verify the effect of the IMT associated with the NMB on respiratory muscles in institutionalized elderly. Methodology: Twelve elders were divided into four groups: the IMT associated with the NMB group; the IMT group; the NMB group, and the control group. The initial and final evaluations were performed for the variables Spirometry, Manovacuometry, Six­Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and POWERbreathe Kseries© Respiratory Test. Twelve visits were made, twice a week. Results: There was a significant difference between the pre and post­intervention periods for the variables Walked Distance in the 6MWT (p = 0,028), Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (p = 0,009), Inspiratory Pressure (p = 0,023), Pressure (p = 0,023), Flow (p = 0,022) and Strength (p = 0,017) for all groups, with no statistical difference in the groups’ comparison (p > 0,05). Conclusion: It was reinforced that the IMT promotes gains in respiratory muscle strength, directly impacting the respiratory capacity of elderly individuals.regardless of whether applied to neuromuscular banding.