Seated Modified Liuzijue Training for Rehabilitation of a Patient with Respiratory Impairment During the Recovery Phase of Stroke: A Case Report.

Patients in the recovery phase after stroke may present with respiratory impairment and abnormal breathing patterns, which can limit exercise tolerance and affect quality of life. This case report describes a 6-week seated modified Liuzijue breathing training program implemented in a patient with respiratory impairment during the recovery phase of stroke. Considering the patient's post-stroke motor dysfunction and balance limitations, the traditional standing Liuzijue protocol was adapted to a seated format, with simplified upper-limb movements and individualized breathing rhythm. The patient completed the 6-week training program in conjunction with conventional rehabilitation. Pre- and post-intervention assessments included pulmonary function parameters, respiratory-related quality of life, general health-related quality of life, and routine laboratory monitoring. After the intervention, tidal volume (TV), vital capacity (VC), and forced vital capacity (FVC) increased relative to baseline. The post-intervention changes in St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores suggested an improvement in the patient's perceived respiratory-related and overall quality of life. This case primarily demonstrates that a seated modified Liuzijue protocol was feasible to implement and was well tolerated throughout the 6-week intervention in this individual patient, without clinically relevant training‑related adverse events. However, because this was an uncontrolled single-case observation conducted during the stroke recovery phase and the patient received concurrent conventional rehabilitation, the observed pre-post changes cannot be attributed specifically to seated modified Liuzijue. These findings should be regarded as preliminary evidence of procedural feasibility and clinical changes that warrant confirmation in controlled studies with larger samples and direct physiological measurements.