PMID: 26770079Feb 1, 2014Paper

Pranayam for Treatment of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Results From a Randomized, Controlled Trial

Integrative Medicine
Anupama GuptaMohammad Arkham

Abstract

Existing medications for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) do not modify the long-term decline in lung functions. The increasing prevalence of COPD requires the development of interventions beyond the usual medical treatment, with a specific focus on rehabilitation. Controlled breathing (pranayam) is a specific set of respiratory exercises within yoga that has been shown to improve the resting respiratory rate, vital capacity, maximum voluntary ventilation, breath-holding time, and maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures. In this study, pranayam was analyzed as an adjunct treatment for medically stable individuals with moderate to severe COPD. The research team carried out a case control study. This study took place at a tertiary care institution, with the participation of the departments of Physiology, Yoga and Naturopathy, and Pulmonary Medicine at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences in Rohtak, Haryana, India. Participants were 50 medically stable individuals with moderate to severe COPD. Twenty-five participants in the intervention arm (IA) were trained to practice pranayam for 30 min 2 ×/d and also received the usual medical treatment. The control group also included 25 par...Continue Reading

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