Isostretching method effects on lung function and posture of mouth breathers

Abstract

Introduction: Mouth breathing interferes with tonicity, posture, mobility and sensitivity of phonoarticulatory organs, which may generate vicious oral habits. Objective: Assessing the posture and the breathing capacity of mouth breathers submitted to the isostretching technique. Methods: A prospective, quasi-experimental study in which the posture of 17 children was assessed by photogrammetry and the respiratory parameters were evaluated by cirtometry; manovacuometry and peak flow. The children were evaluated before the first session and successively after 12 sessions of isostretching technique. Results: There was a change in the sternoclavicular angles (Initial: 3.57±1.54, Final 2.08±0.93; p=0.003), anterosuperior (Initial: 3.31±2.51, Final: 2.00±1.26; p= 0.001) and posterosuperior (Initial: 2.99±2.22, Final 1.62±1.92, p= 0.009) iliac spine, maximal expiratory pressure (MEP) (Initial: 79.29±16.11; Final 91.17±17.80; p= 0.001) and in the Peak Flow (Initial: 279.41±72.92, Final 310.91±66.65; p= 0.01). Conclusion: Treatment with isostretching was effective to improve the respiratory capacity and to change the postural angles.