Author: Anca Jianu
Affiliation: Physical Education and Sports Faculty, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest
Abstract
Background. The introduction of a program of respiratory physical therapy in people with essential hypertension in the age group of 40-60 years influences their stress level.
Aims. Hypertension is known as a cardiovascular risk factor that promotes coronary and cerebral atherosclerosis. Another cardiovascular risk factor, stress, is commonly associated with hypertension and may even be the generator of the latter. The increasing share of hypertensive people and the increasing presence of daily stress in human life have led us to study to what extent respiratory physical therapy, whose benefits are known, can help reduce these risk factors.
Methods. This study, type application, was completed between September 2012 – August 2013 on a number of 24 subjects, divided in two groups, one experimental and the other control, diagnosed with essential arterial hypertension. Information on the stress level of the subjects before and after the application of respiratory kinetotherapy was gathered through some questions evaluating stress in 6 important areas. Each answer was given a number of points, and the overall score placed each subject in a certain stress level area (dangerously low, low, normal, high, dangerously high).
Results. The individual evolutions of the subjects of the experimental group show statistically significant differences between the tests, the mean of the experimental group being smaller, while the control group did not show any significant differences. In the comparative analysis between the groups, the effect size index (0.336) shows a small to moderate difference in favor of the experimental group (a lower stress level).
Conclusions. Reducing the level of stress in experimental research subjects gives respiratory physical therapy a psychotherapeutic role on those with essential hypertension.
Keywords: essential arterial hypertension, respiratory physical therapy, stress level.