Effect of inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary functions and pain among individuals with chronic mechanical low back pain

To evaluate the effectiveness of inspiratory muscle training on pulmonary functions and pain among the individuals with chronic mechanical low back pain. A Scoping review of the literature was conducted comprehensively and systematically to identify existing published studies exploring inspiratory muscle training interventions to enhance pulmonary function and reduce pain among individuals with chronic mechanical low back pain. A systematic search of literature from Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed and Pedro identified studies published from 2015 to 2026 following the Arksey and O Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines for scoping review. A Boolean search technique with an “AND” connector was used for the purpose of collecting pertinent literature from PubMed database. These search terms have been formulated and used according to MeSH terms. The search strings used for each database were as follows: “low back pain AND inspiratory muscle training AND pulmonary functions”, “mechanical low back pain AND inspiratory muscle training AND lung functions”, “chronic low back pain AND diaphragm strengthening AND lung functions”, “chronic low back pain AND imt AND pulmonary functions”, “chronic mechanical low back pain AND imt AND pulmonary functions”.