INTRODUCTION: The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is regarded as one of the most frequent chronic diseases for adults. However, there are only few studies, which investigate the effect of physiotherapeutic treatments for this disease. Frequently, patients suffering from COPD who were treated with liftfree mobilization report about an improving pulmonary capacity and an improving quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate, whether liftfree mobilization is a suitable treatment to achieve both a positive influence on the pulmonary capacity and on the quality of life for those patients suffering from COPD. METHODS: 22 patients suffering from COPD III to IV participate in this study. In addition to a standard physiotherapeutic basic therapy, 11 patients received therapeutic treatments of liftfree mobilization; the remaining 11 patients received placebo treatments instead. Cardiopulmonary data and subjective estimations on the quality of life were collected and evaluated. RESULTS: All patients showed a significant improvement with respect to their subjective estimation and dyspnoea. FEV1 and walking distance of 6MWT showed an improvement. TLC did not change. Compared to the control group, the intervention group showed a significant improvement with respect to the subjective estimation on the quality of life. CONCLUSION: Besides all pulmonary data and cardiac results collected in the course of the patients' treatment, it is increasingly requested to consult the patients' subjective estimation with respect to the general state of health and the quality of life and take it into account in the final evaluation of the disease pattern and in the evaluation of the development of the therapy. Statements on the sustainabillty of the success of the treatment are to be evaluated in multicentre long-term studies with a larger number of cases.

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