Background
dyspnea, deterioration of pulmonary function, IPF
RESPIRATORY DISEASE, IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS, MUSCLE DEGENERATION, DISEASE, CONTRACTION, CAVITY, SEQUELAE
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a worldwide respiratory disease, which seriously affects the quality of life and workability of patients. It is characterized by dyspnea and progressive deterioration of pulmonary function with a poor prognosis. The incidence of IPF increases with age, with the typical onset of dyspnea between 60 and 70 years of age [Preliminary experimental studies indicate that traditional Chinese exercise is a mild, self-healing, and functional exercise that is primarily characterized by isometric contraction, stretching, relaxation, and adjustment of body posture, combined with breathing techniques, with the primary goal of enhancing physical fitness. A meta-analysis revealed that traditional Chinese exercise is a low- to the moderate-intensity form of exercise that is appropriate for middle-aged and elderly patients with IPF and had a positive effect on lung function (improved FEV1 and FEV1/FVC as indicators), exercise capacity, and quality of life (6MWT) [Baduanjin is a kind of qigong exercise that originated in ancient China and integrates body and mind. Combining body and mind maximizes physical and mental health [Surprisingly few studies have focused on the critically required positions for recovery in IPF patients who, to avoid exertional dyspnea, frequently adopt a sedentary lifestyle, which predictably results in extensive skeletal muscle degeneration, social isolation, and its negative psychological sequelae [In this study, three distinct forms of Baduanjin, including sitting horizontally and vertically, are developed to accommodate IPF patients with varying disease severity; each form has its own distinctive characteristics. As an illustration, the seventh form of the vertical Baduanjin is a combination of the traditional Baduanjin and the “tiger rushing” movement in Wuqinxi. During the exercise, the hands are presented in the form of “tiger claws”, raised to the chest with a deep inhalation to make the sound of “si”, and the process of pushing the hands forward with force, accompanied by the exhalation of the gas, “hu” the sound of. Throughout the breathing process, when inhaling, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract, causing the anteroposterior, left and right, and superoinferior diameters of the thoracic cavity to increase, and the thoracic volume expands, causing the air pressure in the lungs to be lower than the outside atmospheric pressure, forming an active inhalation movement. When exhaling, the diaphragmatic muscles and external intercostal muscles relax, causing the thoracic volume to shrink and the lungs to retract, causing the air pressure in the lungs to be greater than the outside air pressure, resulting in passive exhalation. The combination of exhalation exercise and inhalation exercise maintains the continuity and patency of breathing. There is experimental evidence to show that when IPF patients are breathing, the activity rate of the diaphragm is lower than that of the healthy control group, especially when taking a deep breath. To achieve the effect of improving pulmonary ventilation [In this study, five randomly assigned groups are combined with different interventions to evaluate their effects on lung function and motor function in IPF. Because the Modified Baduanjin is easy to learn, easy to operate, easy to carry out, simple, safe, and effective, it is necessary to further study the rehabilitation effect of the Modified Baduanjin on IPF patients. We expect the recommended exercise approach to considerably improve lung function, limb movement, quality of life, and psychological function, and to be applicable to the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation activities of doctors.