Effect of Breathing Training on Symptoms of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether two types of breathing training can improve symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults. The main research questions are: * Do volume-oriented incentive spirometry (VIS) or diaphragmatic breathing exercise (DBE) improve GERD symptoms compared with usual care? * Do these breathing exercises reduce the symptoms of GERD? * Does volume-oriented incentive spirometry (VIS) produce greater improvement in GERD symptoms compared with DBE? * Do these exercises increase the strength of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES)? Researchers will compare VIS training, DBE training, and usual care to determine whether breathing training can serve as a safe and effective non-pharmacological treatment option for GERD. Participants will: * Be randomly assigned to VIS training, DBE training, or usual care * Perform their assigned breathing training (if in the intervention group) twice daily for 6 weeks * Attend study visits at baseline and at week 7 for questionnaires and esophageal function tests * Keep a diary of their symptoms and breathing practice

NCT Number	NCT07179250
Lead Sponsor	Changhua Christian Hospital
Conditions	Incentive Spirometer, Diaphragmatic Breathing, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Breath Exercise
Enrollment	51 participants
Start Date	2025-09
Primary Completion	2026-02 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-05 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-26