Effects of spa therapy on the six-minute walk test in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Our previous studies have shown that subjective symptoms and ventilatory function are improved by spa therapy in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the present study, we investigated the effects of spa therapy on six-minute walk distance in patients with COPD . Subjects were 10 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (9 males and 1 female) admitted to our hospital to undergo pulmonary rehabilitation. All patients had complex spa therapy (swimming training in a hot spring pool, inhalation of iodine salt solution, and fango therapy) for 4 weeks. Ventilatory function, six-minute walk distance, oxygen saturation and Borg scale were measured. Vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second, sixminute walk distance and oxygen saturation increased, but not significantly. Significant decreases were observed for Borg scale. We found that spa therapy improved ventilatory dysfunction and six-minute walk distance in patients with COPD. The results demonstrated that spa therapy may lead to better disease control and exercise tolerance in patients with COPD.

我々は温泉療法が慢性閉塞性肺疾患患者に対して, 呼吸機能改善効果を有することを報告してきた｡今回我々は慢性閉塞性肺疾患患者を対象に温泉療法の６分間歩行試験に及ぼす影響について検討した｡当院入院中の慢性閉塞性肺疾患患者10例(男性９例, 女性１例) を対象として, 温泉プール水中運動, 鉱泥湿布療法, ヨードゾル吸入療法等による複合温泉療法を4週間施行し, その間の呼吸機能, ６分間歩行試験における歩行距離, 動脈血酸素飽和度, 修正Borgスケールの変化を比較検討した｡呼吸機能検査では, 肺活量, １秒量 等の改善傾向が認められた｡６分間歩行距離, 動脈血酸素飽和度は上昇傾向にあった｡修正Borgスケールは有意に低下傾向した｡温泉療法により呼吸機能の改善が得られ, これにより動脈血酸素 飽和度及び６分間歩行距離が上昇したと考えられた｡温泉療法が慢性閉塞性肺疾患の治療に有用であることが示唆された｡