Yoga Breathing for COPD

Great, you just got home from seeing the doctor for your annual visit. She said you’ve got COPD. What the heck is that? It means Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Huh?

Chronic- a medical condition that is long lasting, recurring

Obstructive- an obstruction or blockage of airflow from inflamed tissues

Pulmonary- lungs, air passages

Disease- an abnormal condition affecting the body, not at ease, dis-ease

The most common cause of COPD is the result of smoking. All my patients who are smokers ask me to tell the kids not to start. Look at me now. How cool do I look with tubes in my nose hauling around this stupid tank? Advanced COPD can even cause a bluish color to the skin and lips.

Long term oxygen therapy or even a lung transplant could be in your future. It is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Fourth. That works out to about 131,000 people a year; nearly 360 people dying a day. If you have COPD, now is the time to make the choice to fight back, stop smoking, and regain some of the functions needed for the activities of daily living (ADL).

1.) Your body is full of muscles. When you exercise your muscles they get stronger. You even have muscles that make you breathe. The diaphragm, which is under your lungs and the intercostal muscles between your ribs is your breathing muscle. If you exercise your breathing muscles you will breathe better. The more able you are to breathe the more active you become and get more of your independence back in the process.

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