The Relationship Between Thoracic Kyphosis Angle and Dyspnea Severity and General Health Status in Patients With COPD

ULUSLARARASI MESLEKSEL VE ÇEVRESEL HASTALIKLAR KONGRESİ, Antalya, Turkey, 27 - 29 March 2017, pp.85-86

The Relationship Between Thoracic Kyphosis Angle and

Dyspnea Severity and General Health Status in Patients With

COPD

Ahmet Erdoğan1, Betül Taşpınar1, Orçin Telli Atalay2, Ümran

Erbay3, Ferruh Taşpınar1

1Dumlupinar University School of Health, Department of

Physiotheraphy and Rehabilitation, Kutahya

2Pamukkale University School of Physical Theraphy and

Rehabilitation, Denizli

3Dumlupinar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of

Chest Diseases, Kutahya

Objective: The dyspnea is very common among the chronic

obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) patients having

thoracic hyper-kyphosis, and significant decreases are seen in

quality of life of those patients due to respiratory symptoms

such as dyspnea. The aim of this study is to examine the

relationship between thoracic kyphosis angle and dyspnea

severity and general health status in patients with COPD.

Method: This study was carried out in Dumlupinar University,

Kutahya Evliya Celebi Education and Research Hospital,

Department of Chest Diseases. One hundred and five subjects

aged between 44 and 85 years (mean age of 68.10±8.59

years) were included in this study. The demographical data

of all of the subjects were recorded. Thoracic kyphosis angle

was measured using spinal mouse, while the severity of

dyspnea was determined utilizing Modified Medical Research

Council Dyspnea (MMRC) Scale. For determining the general

health status, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) and Clinic COPD

Questionnaire (CCQ) were used.

Results: While positive low level relationship was determined

between thoracic kyphosis angle and severity of dyspnea

(rho= 0.23, p= 0.02), no relation was found between general

health status and thoracic kyphosis (rho < 0.20, p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The results of this study indicated that as the

thoracic kyphosis angle increases, also severity of dyspnea

increases in patients with COPD but the alteration in thoracic

kyphosis angle doesn’t affect general health status of COPD

patients as negatively or positively. Moreover, in practice

of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, the postures of COPD

patients should be examined in detail, and the protective

measures against thoracic kyphosis should be taken in early

period in terms of exercise and ergonomic setting.

Keywords: Dyspnea, Health Status, Kyphosis, Pulmonary

Disease, Chronic Obstructive