Breathing Exercises Can Treat Lung Disease

Breathing exercise produces more than hot air.

Breathing exercises are not just calming. Breathing exercise also can treat lung disorders. This is the conclusion of research that tested breathing exercise against conventional treatment – ergo drug treatment.

Nurse-led breathing exercise was better

Researchers from Turkey’s Kirklareli University Medical College have found that nurse-led breathing exercises in the home are significantly more effective for COPD patients with stage 3 or 4 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared with standard medical care for COPD.

This means that breathing exercises worked better than drugs.

The researchers studied 32 patients, half of which recieved education and nurse-led exercises in the home, and the other half received standard medical care. The rehabilitation exercises consisted of various breathing exercises along with aerobic exercise.

After three months on the program, both groups were tested for pulmonary function, FEV1, functional breathing capacity, artery blood gas levels, dyspnea and quality of life. The breathing exercise group tested significantly higher than at the beginning of the three months on all tests, while the control group had no improvement.

The study was published in Rehabilitation Nursing, the official journal of the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

The researchers concluded that:

“The study showed that the nurse-led, home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program had positive effects on the patients with COPD.”

Many other studies have shown that breathing exercises can significantly improve symptoms and prognosis for lung conditions.

Breathing exercises don’t have to be nurse-led. With the right direction we can learn to practice breathing exercises on our own. We can practice at home or work. Breathing exercises will increase our alertness, increase our focus, and stimulate detoxification throughout the body. Breathing exercises will also help us relax and think more clearly.

REFERENCES:

Akinci AC, Olgun N. The effectiveness of nurse-led, home-based pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with COPD in Turkey. Rehabil Nurs. 2011 Jul-Aug;36(4):159-65.

Adams, C. Breathing to Heal: The Science of Healthy Respiration, Logical Books, 2013 (Click below to read).