Up to now standard pulmonary rehabilitation to relieve breathlessness for patients with COPD has focused on building up exercise capacity and has tended to ignore the ways that psychological, biochemical and biomechanical aspects of dysfunctional breathing work together to amplify breathing distress. It is great that things are starting to change. This article is one of several showing that a multi-layered treatment approach that skilfully addresses the various dimensions of dysfunctional breathing really makes a difference to patients with COPD.
In this study participants were systematically given education about the mind body connection in breathlessness, then they were taught how to breathe less chaotically and more efficiently during their breathing practice sessions and during daily life. The researchers really took the time to deliver a comprehensive program. This is exactly in line with what Integrative Breathing Therapy practitioners are taught to do i.e apply thorough, comprehensive and person centred breathing retraining that addresses the the 3 key dimensions of dysfunctional breathing.
Link to Abstract-https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36800224/
Reference
[1]
- Norweg, A.M., et al., Mind–Body Intervention for Dysfunctional Breathing in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Feasibility Study and Lessons Learned. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 2023.
