Progressive relaxation exercises: association with dyspnea, anxiety, and oxygen saturation among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Progressive relaxation exercises may benefit chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients by reducing muscle tension, calming the nervous system, and alleviating stress, potentially improving dyspnea and anxiety. By promoting controlled breathing, these exercises could enhance overall quality of life. This study evaluates the effects of progressive relaxation on dyspnea, anxiety, and oxygen saturation in individuals with COPD. Methods A quasi-experimental single-group pretest-posttest design was used. A purposive sample of 60 patients with COPD at the chest department and outpatient clinic recruited from Ain Shams Hospital, Cairo. Patients' socio-demographic characteristics and clinical data, the Dyspnea 12 questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the performance checklist for progressive relaxation exercises. For primary pre–post comparisons within the same group, paired-samples t -tests were used for normally distributed continuous outcomes. Analyses were conducted in SPSS version 27; a two-sided p -value