Authors (including presenting author) :
Mo KC(1), Tsang HC(1), To YL(1), Choo KL(2), Sun TF(3)
Affiliation :
(1)Physiotherapy department, North District Hospital,(2)Department of Medicine, North District Hospital,(3)Hospital Chief Executive Office, North District Hospital
Introduction :
Basic Body Awareness Therapy(BBAT) is a movement awareness learning program leaded by physiotherapists. It is a mind-body, movement awareness approach to promote functional movement quality and habits, it aims at patients coming contact with, gaining insight in and learning more functional movement strategies. Movements in BBAT are simple, safe and are preparing to gain more strategies, strengthening the “self” and preparing for daily life.
The challenges in COPD patients are impaired chest mobility with limited exercise capacity, which leading to limitations on their movement, breathing and the relation to social and environmental aspects. Although there are different interventions, COPD patients are still a significant group with frequent hospital admission. The vulnerability and unpredictability of COPD symptoms would worsen the situation. It is worth to seek for holistic interventions on self-management.
Objectives :
1. To study the movement quality of two COPD patients, as observed by the physiotherapist and described by the patients’ experience through participating in individual BBAT,
2. To study the changes in their movement quality observed by physiotherapist.
Methodology :
This is an observational study with a mixed method, with qualitative and quantitative designs. The BBAT program was an individual 8-week home-based respiratory rehabilitation program in addition to outreach respiratory physiotherapy services. Qualitative data was collected by in-depth interview after the completion of program. Before and after a complete BBAT program, Body Awareness Rating Scale–Movement Quality and Experience(BARS-MQE) was conducted to collect quantitative data.
Malterud's version of Giorgi's 4-step analysis was adopted to analyze the qualitative data, descriptions were developed to answer the research question. Comparison was made for quantitative data sets collected before and after BBAT program.
Result & Outcome :
Qualitatively, patients reported their new experience on the “fresh in breathing” and the “beauty of movement aspects” through BBAT. They reported changes in psycho-socio-cultural aspects, with “positive impacts on emotion and mood”, as well as “positive feedback over the therapeutic relationship”. They also found more competent in self-management of symptoms, they can “balance between moving and breathing”, and they “built exercise habit” as well.
Quantitatively, physiotherapist observed an improvement in patients’ movement quality, with an 23% improvement in mean BARS-MQE scores.
To conclude, BBAT is suitable for COPD patients. The approach is evidence-based with theory and assessment developed. BBAT not only influence patient’s movement quality and experience, but also support their mental aspects. It supports COPD patients in self-managing their symptoms as well.
