Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise, Jacobson's Relaxation Technique and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization on Gastrointestinal and Psychological Causes of Noncardiac Chest Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Objective: Despite the availability of studies, there is a lack of available literature on the treatment of psychological and gastrointestinal causes of noncardiac chest pain (NCCP). Physiotherapeutic techniques involving diaphragmatic breathing, Jacobson's relaxation and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization (DNS) could address these causes through the activation of parasympathetic system. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the combined effect of diaphragmatic breathing, Jacobson's relaxation and DNS along with pharmacological therapy on patients with gastrointestinal and psychological causes of NCCP. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Cardiology OPD of a tertiary care hospital. Subjects: Eighty-eight subjects with NCCP. Methods: The intervention group received diaphragmatic breathing, Jacobson's relaxation technique, DNS and pharmacological treatment for 4 weeks. The control group was given pharmacological treatment with patient education. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) score, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) score, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) questionnaire score and Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) score were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of intervention. Results: The baseline characteristics and outcome measures were assessed, and no significant differences were noted in their mean values (p > 0.05). After 4 weeks of intervention, a statistically significant difference was observed in BDI, HDRS, GERD questionnaire score and NPRS in both the groups (p < 0.001). However, the GERD questionnaire and NPRS showed statistically significant decrease in the intervention group (GERD questionnaire: 28.39 ± 9.74 and NPRS: 4.57 ± 0.91) compared with the control group (GERD questionnaire: 35.54 ± 12.23 and NPRS: 4.95 ± 0.96) with p < 0.05. Conclusion: The diaphragmatic breathing exercises, Jacobson's relaxation technique and DNS are beneficial for reducing GERD symptoms and pain in patients with NCCP. These techniques are safe and cost-effective treatment for addressing the psychological and gastrointestinal causes of NCCP. These can be incorporated along with the pharmacological treatment to enhance the outcomes. However, future researches with long-term follow-ups are required. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials Registry - India: CTRI/2025/02/081294.