Table 4 Comparison of mean (SD) pre‐ and post‐intervention symptom scores and degree of change for participants in the treatment and placebo groups.

Score	Group	Pre	Post	Difference	95% CI	p value
Total	Treatment†	35.4 (16.0)	22.7 (18.0)	12.7 (12.7)	9.0 to 16.1	<0.001*
	Placebo†	29.9 (13.5)	28.8 (16.5)	2.9 (12.5)	−0.7 to 6.5	0.170
	Difference‡			8.5 (13.9)	4.7 to 14.9	<0.001*
Breathing	Treatment†	7.9 (4.1)	5.0 (4.2)	2.9 (3.6)	1.8 to 3.9	<0.001*
	Placebo†	6.6 (4.7)	5.5 (3.5)	1.1 (3.4)	0.1 to 2.0	0.004*
	Difference‡			2.2 (3.7)	0.4 to 3.2	<0.001*
Cough	Treatment†	8.8 (2.8)	4.9 (3.0)	3.9 (3.2)	3.0 to 4.9	<0.001*
	Placebo†	7.5 (3.6)	6.3 (3.5)	1.2 (3.4)	0.3 to 2.2	<0.001*
	Difference‡			2.8 (3.6)	1.3 to 4.0	0.003*
Voice	Treatment†	7.2 (6.0)	4.7 (5.2)	2.5 (4.3)	1.2 to 3.7	<0.001*
	Placebo†	6.5 (4.6)	6.2 (5.0)	0.3 (4.1)	−0.9 to 1.5	0.959
	Difference‡			1.5 (4.5)	0.5 to 3.9	0.005*
Upper airway	Treatment†	9.2 (6.6)	6.5 (6.3)	2.7 (4.7)	1.4 to 4.1	<0.001*
	Placebo†	7.4 (4.9)	7.4 (5.5)	0.1 (4.1)	−1.1 to 1.2	0.946
	Difference‡			1.5 (4.8)	0.9 to 4.4	0.002*
Limitation	Treatment†	2.3 (1.2)	1.6 (1.0)	0.7 (1.1)	0.4 to 1.0	<0.001*
	Placebo†	2.2 (1.1)	2.0 (1.0)	0.3 (0.9)	0.0 to 0.6	0.038*
	Difference‡			0.5 (1.0)	0.0 to 0.8	0.011*

†Calculated using Wilcoxon signed rank test.

‡Calculated using Mann‐Whitney U test.