Breathing exercises improve lung function decline in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

  For general rehabilitation exercises for patients with slow obstructive pulmonary disease, patients who are in the post-rehabilitation period after treatment are mainly in respiratory muscle function exercises, including lip retraction breathing, abdominal breathing and breathing exercises, etc. This method can make patients’ cyanosis significantly reduced and their quality of life significantly improved. Specifically: Lip constriction breathing: The method is that the patient inhales through the nose and then exhales slowly through the half-closed lips, similar to whistling, and tries to exhale all the air, with the ratio of inhalation to exhalation time being 1:2 to 3. Practice several times a day and gradually become natural.  Abdominal breathing: (1) The nurse puts both hands under the patient’s rib cage and asks the patient to inhale; (2) When inhaling, the patient should relax his shoulders, inhale the gas through his nose and protrude his abdomen outward against the nurse’s hands, holding his breath for 1 to 2 seconds to keep the alveoli open; (3) When exhaling, the nurse gently applies pressure to the patient with both hands, while letting the patient exhale through his mouth. This method of breathing should be practiced several times with the nurse, and then the patient should place his or her hands under the rib arch for practice, and after learning it, twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes each time, 7 to 8 times/min. When practicing, attention should be paid to relaxing the whole body muscle groups, especially the tense auxiliary respiratory muscle groups, including the shoulder girdle muscle and neck muscle. Eliminate tension and reduce unnecessary oxygen consumption. When exhaling, make the abdomen sink, and when inhaling, bulge the abdomen, not contract the abdominal muscles during inhalation.  Doctors advocate that it is best to combine the lip contraction breathing and abdominal breathing methods, so that breathing becomes deep and slow through exercise, and deep and slow breathing can relatively reduce the amount of physiological dead space, increase the tidal volume and alveolar ventilation, and improve the blood gas exchange rate, which can eliminate or reduce the symptoms of shortness of breath more quickly. After the nebulized inhalation, abdominal breathing exercises can make the secretions adhering to the wall of the tube fall off and be easily discharged, which is more effective. On the basis of abdominal breathing exercises, whole-body respiratory gymnastics exercises can also be performed to further improve lung function and enhance physical strength.  Breathing exercises: can be divided into lying, standing, sitting 3 kinds of posture to carry out.  Horizontal breathing exercises: lying on your back in bed, hands in fists, elbow flexion and extension 4 to 8 times, inhale when flexing the elbow, exhale when extending the elbow; calm deep breathing 4 to 8 times; both arms alternately stretch 4 to 8 times, inhale when stretching and lifting, exhale when recovering; legs bent at the knees, arms up and out and deep inhalation, exhale 4 to 8 times when recovering; deep breathing 4 to 8 times or abdominal breathing 4 to 8 times with shrinking lips.  Seated breathing exercises: sitting on a chair or bedside, hands clenched in fists, elbow flexion and extension 4 to 8 times, flexion sucking and stretching; calm deep breathing 4 to 8 times; arm extension and inhalation, holding the chest and exhaling 4 to 8 times; alternating knee flexion and extension 4 to 8 times, stretching sucking and flexing; hands holding one knee when inhaling, chest pressure when exhaling, alternating 4 to 8 times; hands on the same side of the shoulder, the upper body rotated 4 to 8 times, rotating sucking and rehaling.  Vertical breathing exercises: standing position, two feet apart and shoulder width, hands crossed breathing 4 to 8 times; one hand on the same shoulder, one hand flat rotation of the upper body, alternating 4 to 8 times left and right, rotating call and re-inhale; hands on the rib cage inhalation, exhale when pressing the chest 4 to 8 times; hands crossed waist, alternating single-leg lift 4 to 8 times, lift suck and re-inhale; shrink lips abdominal breathing 4 to 8 times; hands on the shoulder, rotating the upper body 4 to 8 times, rotating call and re-inhale. Inhale with your arms extended and exhale with your chest clasped 4 to 8 times; alternate leg extensions 4 to 8 times, spreading inhalation and reexhalation; deep inhalation with a rumbling belly and exhalation with a bent and shrunken belly 4 to 8 times.  Coughing instruction: The correct way to cough is for the patient to take a sitting position (lateral position with knees bent in the prone position), shoulders slightly inward, head slightly lowered, hands on the upper abdomen, first take 2 to 4 deep breaths, slightly stretch the body when inhaling, exhale with both hands applying pressure to the upper abdomen, exhale slowly with the mouth, then bend the upper body forward and make a strong cough for 2 to 3 times, slightly stretch the tongue and open the mouth when coughing to facilitate coughing out sputum, then return to the original position. After a few minutes of calm breathing, the above process can be repeated. Some experienced patients use an approach where they consciously suppress the coughing impulse or rest for a while before coughing again after 4 to 5 correct coughs to avoid frequent and ineffective coughing. Correct and effective coughing reduces fatigue, reduces induced bronchospasm, and improves the effectiveness of coughing up sputum.