COPD and Tai Chi Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of chronic inflammatory obstructive lung disease characterized by long-term breathing problems and poor airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production and more. A recent study from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland discovered a neurophysiological link between breathing and attention. Deep breathing directly affects the levels of the natural chemical messenger to the brain that keeps the brain sharp, namely noradrenalin aka norepinephrine . A 7-year study from The University of California found people who meditated regularly developed their ability to sustains longer attention periods than those who didn’t which helped prevent “typical patterns” of age related decline. In a recent study in China, a doctor decided to test his theory that tai chi could be substituted for traditional Western pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). For his COPD patients who didn’t have consistent access to medications, he found that tai chi was the equivalent to the benefits of conventional PR after 12 weeks and better than PR after 24 weeks. It is evident that deep breathing exercises like meditation, tai chi and yoga will all improve your health. |