O6.7 Breathing exercises
A variety of breathing exercises are used in people with COPD. The aim of these exercises is to reduce dyspnoea by altering respiratory muscle recruitment, reducing lung hyperinflation, improving the functioning of the respiratory muscles and optimising thoraco-abdominal motion.
A Cochrane Review of 16 studies involving a total of 1233 individuals with stable COPD (Holland 2012) evaluated the effects of a variety of breathing exercises alone, or together with other interventions, on the primary outcome measures of dyspnoea, exercise capacity and health-related quality of life. The review found some evidence that breathing exercises (pursed lip breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, yoga involving pranayama timed breathing techniques) performed for between 4 and 15 weeks when compared to no breathing exercises improved exercise capacity as measured by 6-minute walking distance [evidence level I/II] but had inconsistent effects on dyspnoea or Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL). Mixed results were found when breathing exercises were compared with other techniques, namely inspiratory or expiratory muscle training, or whole body exercise training, or when combined with another intervention. Computerised ventilation feedback was less effective than exercise training for improving exercise endurance [evidence level III-2] and when combined with exercise training did not confer any additional benefits in dyspnoea compared to exercise training alone [evidence level III-2]. No significant adverse effects were reported in the studies. A major limitation of the studies was that assessor blinding could only be determined in two studies.
The findings of this review do not support the widespread application of breathing exercises in the management of people with COPD. However, breathing exercises may have a role to improve exercise tolerance in selected individuals with COPD who are unable to undertake exercise training.< Prev Next >