Pranayama Breathing Exercises Research Articles

Effect of Pursed-Lip Versus Pranayama Breathing Exercises on Selected Vital Parameters Among Patients With COPD

Effect of Pursed-Lip Versus Pranayama Breathing Exercises on Selected Vital Parameters Among Patients With COPD

Yoga in Burn: Role of pranayama breathing exercise on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle activity and exercise tolerance in full-thickness circumferential burns of the chest

BackgroundCircumferential burn of chest (CBC) is a significant type of burn and considers as a major cause of restrictive lung disease (RLD). Patient who has CBC with RLD leads to respiratory symptoms such as breathing difficulty, airway obstruction, reduced exercise capacity and altered pulmonary functions. However, studies examining the role of pranayama breathing exercise on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle activity and exercise tolerance in full thickness circumferential burn of chest are lacking. ObjectiveTo find the short term effects of pranayama breathing exercise on pulmonary function, respiratory muscle activity and exercise tolerance in full thickness circumferential burns of chest. MethodsThrough simple random sampling method thirty subjects (N = 30) with RLD following CBC were allocated to pranayama breathing exercise group (PBE-G; n = 15) and conventional breathing exercise group (CBE-G; n = 15). They received pranayama breathing exercise and conventional breathing exercise for 4 weeks respectively. All the subjects received chest mobility exercise as common treatment. Primary (Numeric Pain Rating Scale - NPRS, forced expiratory volume (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and secondary (Electromyogram of sternocleidomastoid, scalene, external intercostal and diaphragm muscle, 6 min walk test & Global Rating of Change - GRC) outcome measures were measured at baseline, after four weeks and after three months follow up. ResultsBaseline demographic and clinical variables show homogenous distribution between the groups (p > 0.05). Four weeks following different breathing exercises, PBE-G group shows more significant changes in pain intensity, pulmonary function, respiratory muscle activity, exercise tolerance and global rating of change than CBE-G group (p ≤ 0.05) at four weeks and three months follow up. ConclusionBoth groups showed improvement over time. However, differences between the groups were noticed small. Still physiotherapy management, which included pranayama breathing exercises with chest mobilization program, had an effective strategy in the treatment of restrictive lung disease following circumferential burn of chest.

The Efficacy of Yogic Breathing Exercise Bhramari Pranayama in Relieving Symptoms of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Introduction:A multitude of modalities are available for the treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis, however, each has its side effects and compliance issues. Bhramari pranayama, which is a breathing exercise in the practice of yoga, offers an inexpensive and free from side effect modality in this regard.Objective:The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Bhramari pranayama in relieving the symptoms of chronic sinusitis.Methodology:A total of 60 patients with chronic sinusitis were randomly divided into two groups, one received conventional treatment of chronic sinusitis and the other group was in addition taught to practice yogic breathing exercise Bhramari pranayama. The patients were advised to practice this breathing exercise twice a day and were followed up at 1, 4, and 12 weeks using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22 score).Results:The mean SNOT-22 score in the group following the Bhramari pranayama breathing exercise using the ANOVA test improved from 39.13 ± 9.10 to 24.79 ± 8.31 (P = 0.0002), this improvement was seen by the end of 4 weeks itself and continued until the 12th week of assessment.Conclusion:Integrating regular practice of Bhramari pranayama along with the conventional management of chronic rhinosinusitis is more effective than conventional management alone.

Effect of yoga regimen on lung functions including diffusion capacity in coronary artery disease patients: A randomized controlled study.

Background:Lung functions are found to be impaired in coronary artery disease (CAD), congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction, and after cardiac surgery. Diffusion capacity progressively worsens as the severity of CAD increases due to reduction in lung tissue participating in gas exchange.Aims and Objectives:Pranayama breathing exercises and yogic postures may play an impressive role in improving cardio-respiratory efficiency and facilitating gas diffusion at the alveolo-capillary membrane. This study was done to see the effect of yoga regimen on lung functions particularly diffusion capacity in CAD patients.Materials and Methods:A total of 80 stable CAD patients below 65 years of age of both sexes were selected and randomized into two groups of 40 each. Group I CAD patients were given yoga regimen for 3 months which consisted of yogic postures, pranayama breathing exercises, dietary modification, and holistic teaching along with their conventional medicine while Group II CAD patients were put only on conventional medicine. Lung functions including diffusion capacity were recorded thrice in both the groups: 0 day as baseline, 22nd day and on 90th day by using computerized MS medisoft Cardio-respiratory Instrument, HYP’AIR Compact model of cardio-respiratory testing machine was manufactured by P K Morgan, India. The recorded parameters were statistically analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA followed by Tukey's test in both the groups. Cardiovascular parameters were also compared before and after intervention in both the groups.Results:Statistically significant improvements were seen in slow vital capacity, forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow rate, maximum voluntary ventilation, and diffusion factor/ transfer factor of lung for carbon monoxide after 3 months of yoga regimen in Group I. Forced expiratory volume in 1st sec (FEV1), and FEV1 % also showed a trend toward improvement although not statistically significant. HR, SBP and DBP also showed significant improvement in Group-I patients who followed yoga regimen.Conclusions:Yoga regimen was found to improve lung functions and diffusion capacity in CAD patients besides improving cardiovascular functions. Thus, it can be used as a complimentary or adjunct therapy along with the conventional medicine for their treatment and rehabilitation.

English

OBJECTIVE: There has been an increasing interest in Pranayama breathing exercises which have been known to improve the quality of life. Present study was conducted to find out the effect of Bhastrika and Anulom Vilom Pranayam and Yogasana on heart rate variability, general wellbeing, and cognition and anxiety level of the medical students. METHODOLOGY: 100 medical students were randomly divided into two groups. One group performed Bhastrika and Anulom Vilom Pranayam and the second Surayanamaskar for six weeks. The subjects were made to fill in PGI memory scale, Hamiltonanxiety scale and psychological general well-being schedule and record of the heart rate variability parameters was done, before and after six weeks of pranayam practice. RESULTS: The results showed highly significant increase in-high frequency (HF) components of heart rate variability and decrease in low frequency (LF) components and LF/ HF in the group practicing pranayam. There was also highly significant improvement of cognition, general well-being and anxiety as shown by the PGI memory scale, Hamilton-anxiety scale and psychological general wellbeing schedule score in this group. In yogasana group no significant changes were observed in the heart rate variability, cognition and anxiety although psychological general well-being schedule score significantly improved after six weeks of practice of yogasana. CONCLUSION: The study shows that practice of slow breathing type of pranayam for six weeks improves cognition, anxiety and general well-being and increases the parasympathetic activity. Whereas there was no effect of the yogasana on the above parameters except improvements in the general well-being.

Comparison of the effects of Buteyko and pranayama breathing techniques on quality of life in patients with asthma – a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To compare two breathing exercises (Buteyko and pranayama) with a control group in patients with asthma. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Subjects: One hundred and twenty subjects were randomized to three groups through block randomization. Subjects with an Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score <5.5 participated in the study. Setting: Outpatient pulmonary medicine department. Interventions: Subjects in the Buteyko and pranayama groups were trained for 3–5 days and instructed to practise the exercises for 15 minutes twice daily, and for three months duration. The control group underwent routine pharmacological management during the study period. Outcome measures: Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, Asthma Control Questionnaire and pulmonary function test. Results: The baseline characteristics were similar in all three groups. Post intervention, the Buteyko group showed better trends of improvement (mean (95% confidence interval), P-value) in total Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score than the pranayama (0.47 (–0.008–0.95), P = 0.056) and control groups (0.97 (0.48–1.46), P = 0.0001). In comparison between the pranayama and control groups, pranayama showed significant improvement (0.50 (0.01–0.98), P = 0.042) in total Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score. Conclusion: The Buteyko group showed better trends of improvement in quality of life and asthma control than the group performing the pranayama breathing exercise.