Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises As An Analgesia Adjunct in Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients in the Perioperative Period

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate diaphragmatic breathing exercises as a non-drug method to help manage pain after total knee arthroplasty, a common and often painful surgical procedure. The study focuses on patients undergoing this surgery at Keck USC Hospital, exploring whether these breathing exercises can improve pain control, reduce anxiety, and decrease opioid use during recovery. This pilot study will inform possible larger trials in the future. Participants will be taught diaphragmatic breathing exercises using handouts and videos before surgery and again in the recovery room. The study compares these participants' pain and anxiety levels, measured by the visual analog scale (VAS), and opioid consumption (morphine equivalents) to a control group of past patients who did not receive the breathing training. The control group data come from previous patients who had similar surgery and pain assessments but without the breathing intervention. During the study, pain, anxiety, and opioid use will be assessed at multiple timepoints: before the intervention, 15 minutes after, 6 hours after, and one day after. Researchers will monitor and compare these measures between the breathing exercise group and the control group. The total participation includes education before surgery, support in the recovery room, and follow-up assessments within one day. This observational study aims to understand how diaphragmatic breathing might support pain management after knee replacement surgery.

Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises in Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients