PBMT Associated With a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program on the Functional Capacity of Patients With COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem and the third leading cause of death worldwide. It is characterized by chronic inflammation and remodeling of the airways, inflammation and destruction of the lung parenchyma, resulting in various pulmonary and extrapulmonary manifestations. Symptoms such as cough, mucus production, dyspnea, and fatigue are predominant clinical manifestations and limit the daily life activities of patients with COPD. Associated with this, sarcopenia and impaired functional capacity strongly impact the quality of life of this population and increase mortality rates. In this sense, pulmonary rehabilitation programs, focusing on physical exercise, are widely validated as a non-pharmacological treatment to improve COPD symptoms and reduce hospitalizations due to complications of the disease. PBMT consists of the application of non-thermal radiation through low-intensity laser or light-emitting diode (LED), with the aim of stimulating or inhibiting cellular activity. The photons emitted by these devices are absorbed by photoreceptors, increasing the availability of cellular energy and promoting tissue repair, as well as anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. There is ample evidence highlighting the positive effects of PBMT on improving muscle performance and reducing fatigue in healthy individuals and athletes. Studies in populations with chronic diseases such as heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and COPD are still scarce in the literature, and the benefits of this therapy need to be further investigated. It is hypothesized that PBMT may be an additional resource to pulmonary rehabilitation programs, facilitating exercise execution, reducing symptoms of dyspnea and fatigue, and improving long-term functional capacity, since these patients would have better performance during the training program.