Impact of Aquatic Exercise on Respiratory Outcomes in Children with Neuromuscular Disorders

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022

Neuromuscular disorders (NMD) lead to the progressive loss of motor and respiratory functions and a decline in daily activities and participation.

A recent study by Huguet-Rodríguez et al. (2020) aims to assess the respiratory changes and functional outcomes in children attending an aquatic therapy program.  The report states:

“An aquatic exercise program in children with NMD appears to promote short-term increases in certain clinically relevant concepts, such as PCF, inspiratory volume and ventilatory pressures, described as indicators of health status and progression in these pathologies.”

The Vitalograph COPD-6 was used in this study to measure the volume of exhaled air by means of FEV1, FEV6 and the FEV1/FEV6 ratio. 

Impact of Aquatic Exercise on Respiratory Outcomes in Children with Neuromuscular Disorders