INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary ventilation depends on the integrity of the chest wall. The positioning of the chest wall and/or the disorders of ventilatory muscles decrease the lung volume and capacity, the flow of airway pressure and inspiratory and expiratory pressures. The positioning of the upper limbs interferes with the dynamics of the chest. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of positioning of the arms with the shoulder 90º abduction and external rotation associated with elbow flexion to 90º on the pulmonary ventilatory function. METHODS: The subjects underwent Respiratory Questionnaire suggested by the American Thoracic Society - Division of Lung Diseases (ATS-DLD) and the individual records to search for clinical assessment of ventilatory lung function. RESULTS: We found out that the minute volume and tidal volume in healthy subjects in post-position increased when compared to the situation of pre-positioning from 9.46 ± 1.15 L/min. to 11.89 ± 1.54 L/min. and from 565.8 ± 83.84 ml to 752.4 ± 105.5 mL, respectively. CONCLUSION: The placement of members can be prioritized before lung reexpansion techniques. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs in general may include the correct positioning of the upper limbs, as this represents an advantage to muscles that act on the rib cage, improving the performance of ventilation.
Pulmonary ventilation; Position of the upper limbs; Pulmonary function
