Bhramari Pranayama and Thoracic Mobility Exercises for Moderate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Case Study

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health issue and a significant cause of morbidity, disability, and mortality due to persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitations. COPD is diagnosed through pulmonary function testing, particularly spirometry, which measures the post bronchodilator FEV1/FVC ratio. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Bhramari pranayama combined with thoracic mobility exercises on increasing exercise/activity tolerance in patient with moderate COPD. This case study is about a 60-year-old male with COPD who presented with breathlessness, cough, and mMRC grade 2 dyspnoea. His FEV1 was 58%, FVC was 75%, and FEV1/FVC (post bronchodilator) was 63%. The patient was given Bhramari pranayama and thoracic mobility exercise for a period of 4 days. After 4 days, there was improvement in dyspnoea severity, exercise capacity, thoracic expansion, FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC, and CAT questionnaire score. Hence, we concluded that Bhramari Pranayama and thoracic mobility exercises are effective in increasing exercise/activity tolerance in patient with moderate COPD.