Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) recently surpassed stroke as the No. 3 cause of death in the United States. And the COPD drug market is set to hit $14.1 billion in profits in 2025, as big pharma continues to aggressively market their drugs and inhalers to a growing population of sufferers.
Unfortunately, as I’ve reported before, COPD drugs and inhalers cause countless, harmful side effects.
But there are so many safe and effective natural options to support lung health. And it’s a true disservice to the public how little attention they get — especially from the mainstream.
Fortunately, some researchers are beginning to seriously consider one particular natural alternative to effectively control — and even reverse — the symptoms of COPD.
Tai chi improves lung capacity in men and women with COPD
Tai chi is a traditional form of exercise popular in China, particularly among older individuals. It involves a series of 24 gentle, connected movements.
Of course, many people with COPD might not physically be able to complete a series of 24 movements. So, a new study tested a modified form of tai chi — which included just six movements — in people with COPD.
The study followed 120 patients with moderate-to-severe COPD who had never used a bronchodilator (a type of inhaler commonly used to treat COPD).
One group of participants learned to perform the modified tai chi in about three hours. Then, they practiced the modified tai chi for about five hours a week for 12 weeks. They were also asked to continue the exercises for another 12 weeks.
The second group received traditional pulmonary rehab (PR), which requires access to trained physiotherapists and special facilities, for 12 weeks.
After just 12 weeks, the tai chi group showed significant improvements similar to the PR group in:
- lung function
- exercise capacity (walking distance in six minutes)
- overall health status
The tai chi also seemed to prevent shortness of breath from getting worse, and the benefits lasted longer after stopping the exercise than in the PR group.
There’s no drug that confers that many benefits without any side effects. Unfortunately, you won’t hear tai chi advertised during the evening news. Nor will you hear about any of the other new research on lung health and other similar approaches like massage, qi gong, and yoga — all of which help improve breathing and respiration.
However, you will hear all about the latest research — in addition to an array of whole-body approaches to preventing, treating, and reversing lung disease — in a new online learning protocol I’m currently working on. I’ll keep you posted on my progress as I learn more and put all of the pieces together. And, as always, you’ll be the first to know about it when it’s ready. So, stay tuned!
Source:
“A modified 6-form Tai Chi for patients with COPD,” Complementary Therapies in Medicine August 2018; 39: 36-42