A Narrative Review on Postural Alterations and Respiratory Functions inIndividuals with Obstructive Lung Diseases

Obstructive lung disease, a major respiratory condition characterized by progressive airway obstruction, leads to significant morbidity, and chronic progression of the disease often results in musculoskeletal adaptations, with forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and thoracic kyphosis, which further impair respiratory mechanics. This narrative review was undertaken to perform a postural analysis of the upper body quadrant and its associations with respiratory function in individuals with obstructive lung disease. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and SAGE, encompassing studies published in English between 2019 and 2024. According to the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 7 articles were deemed important. The studies included patients with obstructive lung disease and analysed variables such as postural alignment, dyspnea, respiratory muscle strength, pulmonary function, and functional endurance. The reviewed evidence consistently revealed a significant correlation between postural abnormalities, particularly forward head posture, and increased thoracic kyphosis, with expansion of the chest wall, reduced pulmonary function, and exercise tolerance. Alterations in cervical and thoracic biomechanics are the primary factors that reduce respiratory muscle performance and are associated with increased symptoms of dyspnea. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of upper-body posture is of paramount importance in targeting a defined course of therapeutic exercise to produce a change or reduction in respiratory symptoms.