Effectiveness of Deep Breathing versus Segmental Breathing Exercises on Chest Expansion in Pleural Effusion.

Background: It is estimated that close to 30 % of diseases affecting the respiratory system involve the pleura and approximately 1.5 million patients are diagnosed with pleural effusion each year in the United States. Tuberculosis (TB) is a common cause of pleural effusion in India. Pleural effusion causes reduction of chest expansion it leads to lung atelectasis and excess fluid causes the lungs to collapse. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to find out the effectiveness of deep breathing versus segmental breathing exercises on chest expansion and pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC IC) in individuals with pleural effusion. Methods: The prospective comparative study consists of thirty participants between the ages of 20 to 40 years with the clinical diagnosis of unilateral pleural effusion. The deep breathing group (group A) received deep breathing exercises and segmental breathing group (group B) received segmental breathing exercises for two weeks of duration. Results: The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference between both the groups on chest expansion (p