Can breathing exercises help stroke survivors regain balance?
NCT ID NCT07821255
First seen Sep 15, 2026 · Last updated Sep 16, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing whether adding diaphragmatic breathing training to standard physiotherapy helps people with chronic stroke improve trunk control and postural stability. Forty adults who had a stroke at least six months earlier will be randomly assigned to either breathing training plus physiotherapy or physiotherapy alone. The breathing training involves slow, deep breaths using the belly and lower ribs, done three times a week for six weeks. Outcomes include trunk control, balance, and walking ability.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Diaphragmatic breathing training added to conventional physiotherapy
- What this could lead to
- If it works, breathing exercises could become a simple, low-cost addition to stroke rehabilitation that helps people sit and balance better.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early trial with 40 people, so any benefit may be modest or may not hold up in larger studies. Breathing training also requires regular practice and may not suit everyone.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 40 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria:Adults aged 40-65 years. * Clinically diagnosed unilateral stroke. * Chronic stroke stage of at least 6 months. * Able to sit independently without physical assistance. * Able to walk 10 meters with or without an assistive device. * Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score ≥24. * Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) score ≤2 in the affected upper and lower limb muscles. * Medically stable. * Able to understand and follow simple instructions. * Willing to participate and provide written informed consent. Exclusion Criteria:Other neurological disorders. * Bilateral neurological deficits or multiple deficits substantially interfering with trunk control, balance, or gait. * Severe cardiopulmonary disease limiting participation in exercise. * Severe musculoskeletal disorders affecting the trunk or lower limbs. * Severe cognitive impairment. * Severe aphasia preventing understanding of instructions. * Significant visual or vestibular impairment affecting balance assessment. * Uncontrolled medical conditions. * Current participation in another structured rehabilitation program.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
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The official record
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