ABSTRACT
Respiratory muscle training (RMT) as a treatment modality in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains controversial. The majority of pulmonary rehabilitation programs do not utilize RMT as an essential part of their rehabilitation regimen (1). Furthermore, in the United States, RMT is not considered a component of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT), conducted by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Whereas a number of research studies have identified benefits to RMT in COPD, others have not, and attempts to generate composite analyses of the literature have resulted in equivocal conclusions regarding its usefulness (1-3). In this chapter we will discuss the potential rationale for RMT in COPD, take a careful look at the existing literature, and try to sort out the many variables that may affect the outcome of RMT trials. Finally, we will try to arrive at some overall conclusions regarding RMT and stimulate interest in further research in this area. The reader is referred to several excellent review articles that offer differing opinions on this subject (3-7).
