Elastic tape as an add-on strategy to potentiate pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes in nonobese males with moderate-to-very severe COPD: A randomised clinical trial.
PulmonologyAug 19, 2026 (epub)
Clinical ResearchPulmonology
Juliana de Melo Batista Dos Santos, Thiago Fernandes Pinto, Estéfane Caroline Monteiro Reis et al.
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In 30 seconds
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of elastic tape (ET) as an adjunct to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in 42 nonobese men with moderate-to-very severe COPD. The study found that the ET group showed a significant improvement in endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) time by +329 seconds, surpassing the minimal clinically important difference (MCID).
Key findings
- The ET group improved ESWT by +329 seconds, exceeding the MCID.
- Greater improvements in COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores were observed in the ET group (p = 0.02).
- 48% of the ET group achieved the MCID for CAT compared to 29% in the Sham group (p = 0.02).
- Only the ET group achieved MCIDs for depression (p = 0.003) and anxiety (p = 0.02).
Why it matters
The findings suggest that incorporating elastic tape into pulmonary rehabilitation may enhance exercise capacity and psychological well-being in patients with severe COPD, potentially leading to better overall management of the disease.