Yoga's Effectiveness in the Treatment of Chronic Pulmonary Disease

Sunena Williams^*
*Correspondence: Sunena Williams, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Stony Brook University, New York, USA, Email:

Perspective

Medication for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) does not slow down the long-term loss of lung function. COPD is becoming more common, necessitating the development of therapies beyond standard medical treatment, with a particular focus on rehabilitation. Resting respiratory rate, vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, breath-holding time, and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures have all been demonstrated to improve with controlled breathing (pranayam).

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, and it is a major public health issue. COPD is expected to be the third biggest cause of death worldwide by 2020, with a fifth-place socioeconomic impact. COPD is marked by irreversible airflow obstruction, a steady deterioration in lung function, lung tissue loss, decreased quality of life, and high mortality rates. Reduced symptoms, complications, and exacerbations, greater exercise tolerance, improved health status, and lower mortality are all part of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) management. Pulmonary rehabilitation is largely acknowledged as the most effective non-pharmacotherapy in the management of COPD, according to recent evidence-based clinical practise guidelines and declarations .

Pulmonary rehabilitation is a comprehensive intervention that combines exercise training, education, and behaviour change to help patients with COPD improve their physical and mental health. The evidence showing the effectiveness of various types of exercise training as part of pulmonary rehabilitation for lowering dyspnea and fatigue, as well as improving healthrelated quality of life and exercise capacity in people with COPD, is growing.

Yoga is thought to have originated in ancient India and to represent the unification of the individual and transcendental selves. Asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises) cleanse the body's organs and systems (controlling the breath). Yoga asanas and pranayama, as well as meditation, have become popular in the West, and the practise of yoga has been "westernised." Postures are taught as means to an aim, such as healing an ailment, reducing stress, or improving one's appearance. People with asthma, heart disease, diabetes, TB, mental disorders, osteoarthritis, and pleural effusion have all been proven to benefit from yogic exercises. A number of clinical investigations have suggested that yoga training can help people with COPD improve their pulmonary function, however the quality of these research has not been assessed.

There are currently no medications that can stop COPD from progressing, however lung training and pulmonary rehabilitation have been shown to lessen disability in many chronic respiratory diseases and have become important COPD therapeutic options. Short-term yoga practise has been shown to enhance tidal volume and FVC, reduce respiratory rate, raise FEV1, FEV1 percent, maximum voluntary ventilation, and breath holding capacity. Yoga training has also been shown to improve exercise capacity, delay lung function loss, improve quality of life, and reduce dyspnea in COPD patients. These studies, on the other hand, could not give enough data or clinical evidence to back up the therapeutic effects of yoga instruction on these pertinent outcomes.

Yoga asanas, or physical postures, can assist enhance your body's overall level of physical fitness, including range of motion, flexibility, and strength. These postures might help you feel more energised and cleanse your thoughts of worries. Breathing techniques, also known as pranayamas, help persons with COPD manage their breathing and teach them how to use their lungs more effectively. Breathing exercises are done while holding an asana and independently as a breathing practise. Many pulmonary rehabilitation programmes include yoga as part of the activities they recommend. It's also been shown to improve mind-body coordination as an addition to physical therapy treatment in industrial rehabilitation programmes. Short-term yoga practises have been shown to enhance lung function metrics, diffusion capacity, dyspnea-related distress, and health-related quality of life in studies. Yoga would demonstrate benefit for coal miners with COPD, a topic on which no prior research appears to have been conducted.

Yoga courses for COPD patients are reduced versions of traditional yoga, so don't expect to contort your body into a range of difficult positions. They were designed with COPD patients in mind, and they should provide you with a mild, straightforward, and effective way to manage your physical and emotional wellbeing. Stretching and bending exercises enhance fitness and flexibility, while breathing exercises equip you with the ability to successfully control any spells of breathlessness. You should be able to practise the techniques you learn at home if they are simple enough [1-5].

References

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