The effects of pulmonary rehabilitation associated with balance training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review with metanalysis

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: balance is an outcome that has been extensively studied in recent years in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) associated with balance training (BT) are not yet clear. OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the effects of PR associated to BT in patients with COPD through a systematic review with meta-analysis. METHODS: it was performed a review of articles published in indexed journals between 2013 and 2019 in the databases PUBMED, PUBMED, LILACS, SciELO e PEdro. All searches were conducted between March and April 2020 and the descriptors combined were: "pulmonary rehabilitation" OR "rehabilitation" AND "balance" OR "falls" OR "risk of falls" and their respective translations into Spanish and Portuguese. RESULTS: A total of 2052 studies were identified, but only 3 articles met the eligibility criteria. The PEDro methodological quality scores varied between 5 and 7 scores, which demonstrates a good methodological design. Of the 3 selected studies, 2 performed conventional BT (on the ground involving functional balance, gait and posture) and 1 used specific equipment (vibrating platform). The intervention protocol lasted between 6 and 24 weeks, mean daily time between 30 and 60 minutes and frequency of 2 to 3 times a week. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review with meta-analysis suggest that PR associated to BT seems to improve balance of patients with stable COPD when compared to usual PR.