UNAIR NEWS –Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is one of the non-communicable diseases which become a public health problem in Indonesia. Departing from that, Resti Yudhawati, dr., Sp.P(K) and Mariani Rasjid Hs, dr., Sp.P., conducted a research about yoga effect on the parameter of pulmonary function.
Previously, dr. Resti quoted from the world health agency that in 1990 Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease ranked 6th as the world’s main cause of death, in 2002 COPD ranked the 5th as the world’s main cause of death, and was predicted to become the third in 2030 after cardiovascular disease and cancer.
In COPD sufferer management, she explained, beside pharmacological therapy and smoking cessation, non-pharmacological therapy was also needed, that was pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation, she explained, was a comprehensive intervention including sports, education, and behavior modification designed to improve the physical and psychological condition of the patients with COPD.
“Several types of exercise as the part of pulmonary rehabilitation are intended to reduce shortness of breath and fatigue, and to improve health quality related to the life and the ability of people with COPD”, she explained.
Furthermore, she also explained that the research has showed that many kinds of exercise such as upper extremities, Tai Chi, and yoga could improve the life quality of the patients with COPD. Yoga, she continued, has included as the recommended exercise component for pulmonary rehabilitation program and as the additional physical therapy treatment in rehabilitation program and was proven to improve mind and body coordination.
“Yoga is a low impact sport that can be adapted to the needs and ability of the practitioners, so that it fits for everyone including COPD sufferers through asana (yoga posture) and pranayama (respiratory technique),” she explained.
A short–term study on yoga practice, she continued, has reported that there was an improvement on the parameter of pulmonary function, diffusion capacity, reduce stress level due to the shortness of breath and life quality. Yoga, she said, gave beneficial effects on various health branches, including musculoskeletal, cardiopulmonary through asana and pranayama; and mental health, which was known to improve mind and body condition.
“Yoga is further used in various treatments, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, there has not been a research that assess the effect of yoga on COPD patients in Indonesia,” she said.
In the end, she said that this research proves that yoga has beneficial effects on the parameters of pulmonary function and the quality of life of patients with COPD in category B. Therefore, she explained, yoga could be used as an option for pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with COPD in category B.
“Yoga exercise improves the work of body system, they are nervous system and all organs of the body,” she concluded.
Author: Nuri Hermawan
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
Reference:
https://journals.viamedica.pl/advances_in_respiratory_medicine/article/view/ARM.2019.0047
Resti Yudhawati and Mariani Rasjid Hs (2019). Effect of yoga on FEV1, 6-minute walk distance (6-MWD) and quality of life in patients with COPD group B. Advance in Respiratory Medicine, 87(5): 261–268
