Elastic tape as an add-on strategy to potentiate pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in nonobese males with moderate-to-very severe COPD: A randomised clinical trial.
Elastic tape may enhance pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in exercise capacity and psychological symptoms for individuals with moderate-to-very severe COPD.
Where it sits
this study against the rest of the mgf (mechano growth factor) corpusSummary and findings
This study measured the effects of elastic tape (ET) as an adjunct to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in 42 nonobese men with moderate-to-very severe COPD over an 8-week period. The primary outcome was the endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) time, which improved by +329 seconds in the ET group. Secondary outcomes included various health-related quality of life measures and psychological symptoms.
Abstract
<h4>Background and objective</h4>Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves exercise capacity but has limited effects on ventilatory constraints in severe COPD. Application of elastic tape (ET) is a potential adjunctive strategy that improves ventilatory efficiency, but its effects during PR remain un lear. This study investigated whether ET potentiates PR benefits on exercise capacity, health status, psychological symptoms, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in individuals with COPD.<h4>Methods</h4>Forty-two nonobese men with moderate-to-very severe COPD were randomised to ET or Sham groups during an 8-week PR programme. The primary outcome was endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) time; secondary outcomes included COPD Assessment Test (CAT), Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).<h4>Results</h4>ESWT improved by +329s in the ET group, exceeding the MCID. Greater CAT improvements (<i>p</i> = 0.02), and a higher proportion achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) (48% vs. 29%; <i>p</i> = 0.02) were observed in the ET group. Only ET group achieved MCIDs for depression (<i>p</i> = 0.003) and anxiety (<i>p</i> = 0.02). HRQoL improved similarly in both groups. The only outcome with a significant time × group interaction was HADS-D (<i>p</i> = 0.001), improved by ET. Only This study was performed in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. This human study was approved by Ethics Committee for Analysis of Research Projects (CAPPesq) of School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo - Hospital das Clínicas (approval 55 617 321.20000.0068). All adult participants provided written informed consent to participate in this study. Clinical Trial Registration number NCT05939999 (https://clinicaltrials.gov), registered on October 26<sup>th</sup>, 2025.ET group presented moderate-to-large effect sizes for ESWT (d = 0.89), HADS-A (d = 0.51) and HADS-D (d = 1.02).<h4>Conclusions</h4>ET potentiates PR benefits on exercise capacity, health status, and psychological symptoms in individuals with moderate-to-very severe COPD.
Background
This paper addresses the potential benefits of elastic tape as an adjunctive strategy to enhance pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in individuals with moderate-to-very severe COPD. Previous studies have shown that pulmonary rehabilitation improves exercise capacity but may have limited effects on ventilatory constraints. The investigation into the effects of elastic tape during pulmonary rehabilitation is important for understanding how to optimize treatment outcomes in this population.
Methods
The study was a randomized clinical trial involving 42 nonobese men with moderate-to-very severe COPD. Participants were randomized into ET or Sham groups during an 8-week pulmonary rehabilitation program. The primary outcome was the endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) time, while secondary outcomes included the COPD Assessment Test (CAT), Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire (CRQ), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
Results
The primary endpoint showed that the ESWT improved by +329 seconds in the ET group. Significant improvements were also observed in the CAT scores (p=0.02) and a higher proportion of participants achieving minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the ET group (48% vs. 29%; p=0.02). The ET group achieved MCIDs for depression (p=0.003) and anxiety (p=0.02), while HRQoL improved similarly in both groups.
Interpretation
The findings suggest that elastic tape may enhance the benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation in terms of exercise capacity and psychological symptoms, with moderate-to-large effect sizes reported. However, the clinical significance of some improvements may be limited by the small sample size and the subjective nature of the psychological measures. These results should be interpreted with caution, and further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore long-term effects.
Key findings
- +329s ESWT improvement in ET group, exceeding MCID.
- Greater CAT improvements in ET group, p=0.02.
- 48% of ET group achieved MCID vs 29% in Sham, p=0.02.
- ET group achieved MCIDs for depression, p=0.003.
- ET group achieved MCIDs for anxiety, p=0.02.
- Moderate-to-large effect sizes for ESWT (d=0.89), HADS-A (d=0.51), and HADS-D (d=1.02).
Limitations
- small sample size n=42
- potential confounding factors in subjective measures
- short follow-up duration of 8 weeks