OBJECTScientific guided breathing technology is to be studied based on the cardiopulmonary interaction.

METHODSHeart rate variability was used as the target function to study the smoothly respiratory relaxation procedure in order to acquire the common pattern of regular and slow breathing.

RESULTSMusic based on the acquired common pattern was created and a musical pattern temporally-related to the breathing movement monitored by a sensor could be chosen to guide the breathing interactively.

Breathing Exercises ; Heart Rate ; physiology ; Humans ; Respiration

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a Dan Jeon Breathing Model and to identify effects of the developed Dan Jeon Breathing Model for maintenance and promotion of health and improvement of health problems in middle-aged women. METHOD: This study was constructed with two procedures. The first procedure was to develop appropriate movements for middle-aged women, performing a focus group discussion and developing a Dan Jeon Breathing Model in qualitative research. The collected data from focus group discussions was categorized for fitting movements. The second procedure was to verify and conclude a Hypothetic Dan Jeon Breathing Model through a quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group pre-post test design. RESULT: The developed Dan Jeon Breathing Model was composed of 28 preparation movements to accept Ki comfortably, 10 breathing movements to accumulate Ki for activation of metabolic function in organs and 14 finishing movements to transmit activated Ki to organs. It took 40 minutes to do them. In the Second procedure, the score of physical health (t=4.205, p=.000), psycho-social health(t=3.292, p=.002) and physical strength of the experimental group(t=5.905, p=.000) was higher than that of the control group. CONCLUSION: The Dan Jeon Breathing Model developed in this study is the correct health promotion model for middle-aged women, their demand, developmental traits and health problems.
Middle Aged ; Humans ; *Health Promotion ; Female ; *Breathing Exercises

Respiratory muscle training is one of the major methods for enhancing the vocal function. Singers who must use their voice most frequently are well aware of the importance of respiration. However, most of them do not know precisely how to exercise their abdominal respiration. Using a respiratory training device, singers are expected to gain more efficiency in their vocal enhancement. The aim of the study was to examine the pulmonary function, the maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and the maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and the maximum phonation time (MPT) in five female voice-majors students after undergoing specially programmed respiratory muscle training for 2 months. All the voice-majors had an average of 4.8 years of formal classical voice training. A respiratory muscle training device (Ultrabreathe (R) ), Tangent health Care Inc., England) was used to train the respiratory muscle. None of the pulmonary function test variables had changed after respiratory muscle training. However, the MIP, MEP, and MPT were significantly increased higher after the respiratory muscle training. This suggests that the specially programmed respiratory muscle training can improve the respiratory muscle strength and vocal function without increasing the pulmonary function.
Adult ; *Breathing Exercises ; Female ; Humans ; *Phonation ; Pressure ; Vital Capacity ; Voice

Acupuncture and moxibustion are a distinctive therapy created by ancient working people of our country, with a long history. Medical practices of long-term form the theories about channels and collaterals, acupoints and indications of acupoints and produce a series of therapeutic methods, such as Ziwu Liuzhu method, filiform needle needling method, moxibustion, scrapping therapy, cupping therapy and Qigong therapy. These distinctive traditional therapeutic ways play great roles in prevention and treatment of diseases in the Chinese nation. The authors expound culture concept and origins of history culture, and facing problems and challenge of above-mentioned theories and therapeutic methods and hold that main culture quintessence and diagnostic and therapeutic techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion very need to be inherited, protected and further sorted out and studied.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Breathing Exercises ; Culture ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Moxibustion

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the effects of respiratory muscle training on respiratory function, balance, and activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with stroke. METHODS: The study included 21 patients with stroke, divided into the experimental group and control group. Both groups underwent traditional physical therapy once a day for 30 minutes, five times weekly for 6 weeks. The experimental group underwent additional respiratory muscle training once a day, five times a week during the study period. Maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), Berg balance scale (BBS), and Korean-modified Barthel index (K-MBI) were measured before and after the study period. For statistical analysis, paired t-test was used to compare the difference between the pre and post values. Independent t-test was used compare the differences between groups. RESULTS: Both groups had significantly improved MIP, MEP, BBS, and K-MBI scores after the study period. The experimental group had significantly improved MIP, MEP, BBS, and K-MBI scores. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that respiratory muscle training improves respiratory function, balance, and ADL in patients with stroke.
Activities of Daily Living* ; Breathing Exercises* ; Humans ; Respiratory Muscles* ; Stroke*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of breathing exercises performed using panflutes in elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery. METHODS: The study design was a nonequivalent control group non-synchronized pre-post test. The study included 24 patients in both the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group completed a daily breathing exercise regimen using panflutes for 30minutes after meals, whereas the control group was provided standard preoperative education, including breathing exercises using incentive spirometers. After the exercise regimen, breathing exercise compliance, pulmonary infections, and life satisfaction were measured in both groups, and the data were analyzed using the SPSS/WIN program. RESULTS: The compliance rate of breathing exercises was significantly higher in the experimental group. The experimental group presented no pulmonary infections in the later period, whereas the control group presented higher pulmonary infection rates in the same period. In addition, the life satisfaction score in the experimental group significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The breathing exercise program using panflutes for elderly patients undergoing spinal surgery enhanced their breathing exercise compliance and their daily life satisfaction in addition to reducing their pulmonary infection rates.
Aged* ; Breathing Exercises ; Compliance* ; Education ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Meals ; Motivation ; Patient Compliance ; Personal Satisfaction ; Postoperative Complications ; Respiration* ; Work of Breathing

Medically unexplained dyspnea refers to a group of patients presenting marked dyspnea without structural alterations of organs/systems after thorough examinations. This clinically neglected group of patients accounts for about 14% of patients with dyspnea in secondary health care. They appear very difficult to manage clinically. In this paper an organized approach used to diagnose medically unexplained dyspnea is presented. Breathing re-training is recommended as a therapy for those "difficult to treat patients".
Breathing Exercises ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Dyspnea ; diagnosis ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; Psychophysiologic Disorders ; diagnosis ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo analyze the effects of a Qigong program on various parameters of unstimulated saliva, including volume, pH and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) level.

METHODSTwice a day from the beginning of Fall 2005, twenty-three healthy volunteers aged 22-24 did special Qigong exercises and massage of acupuncture points which stimulated the energy cycle and increased body water energy. The unstimulated saliva volume and pH were recorded every week in Spring (April, May, June) 2005 before the volunteers started to learn and exercise Qigong, and after Qigong intervention in Spring (April, May, June) 2006. During the period of study, saliva was collected in the same location and on similar dates at the Dental Faculty of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The S-IgA levels of the last samples of the last week of Spring 2005 and 2006 were measured.

RESULTSThe unstimulated saliva volume after Qigong exercises (2.94 + or - 0.20 mL/5min) was significantly higher as compared to the pre-Qigong phase (1.65 + or -0.102 mL/5min, P<0.05). The S-IgA level was 105.45 + or - 9.41 mg/mL before doing Qigong exercises, and 156.23 + or - 88.56 mg/mL after doing Qigong exercises, and a statistically significant difference was seen between the two measurements (P=0.005). The change in pH was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONSThe application of Qigong is beneficial for increasing salivary volume and other parameters. Moreover, the results suggest that Qigong may be a useful medication for patients with salivary hyposecretion. Further research is recommended in examining the long-term effects of Qigong on improving salivary volume and other parameters in individuals with salivary hyposecretion.

Breathing Exercises ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration ; Immunoglobulin A, Secretory ; analysis ; Male ; Saliva ; immunology ; secretion ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The device-guided breathing (DGB) exercise is a non-pharmacological treatment of high blood pressure (BP). Changes in hemodynamic variables after DGB remain to be defined. This study evaluated the hemodynamic effects of DGB in hypertensive patients. METHODS: Fifty-nine hypertensive individuals (male, 56%; age, 44 +/- 10 years) with systolic BP (SBP) in the range of 140 to169 mm Hg and diastolic BP (DBP) < 105 mm Hg were divided into two group: control group (n = 17) vs. DGB group (n = 42) who slowed respiratory rate by using 15 minutes daily DBG (RESPeRATE) over 8 weeks. Heart rate, BP and hemodynamic parameters including cardiac index (CI), thoracic fluid content (TFC), systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) and total arterial compliance index (TACI) were measured using the ICG Monitor (CardioDynamics) at baseline and study end. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were not different between the two groups. Office BP (SBP/DBP) was reduced from baseline to end value by 13.2 +/- 11.1/6.9 +/- 7.5 mm Hg in DGB group and 2.2 +/- 6.9/0.5 +/- 6.6 mm Hg in control group (p = 0.001, p = 0.004, respectively). Heart rate, CI, stroke index, and TFC were not changed in both groups. However, the SVRI was lower and the TACI was higher in DGB group than control group (SVRI: 2,728 +/- 599 vs. 3,141 +/- 714 dyne sec m2/cm5, p = 0.002; TACI: 0.845 +/- 0.194 vs. 0.761 +/- 0.184 mm Hg/mL/m2, p = 0.041). CONCLUSIONS: Daily device-guided breathing exercise for 8 weeks lowers the BP mediated by reducing the systemic vascular resistance and increasing the total arterial compliance without changes in heart rate and CI.
Breathing Exercises ; Cardiography, Impedance ; Heart Rate ; Hemodynamics* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Respiratory Rate ; Vascular Resistance

It is known that a pulmonary rehabilitation program improves dyspnea and exercise tolerence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, it is also known that although it does not improve pulmonary function. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of a 4 week pulmonary rehabilitation on pulmonary function, gas exchange, and exercise tolerance in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The pulmonary rehabilitation programs included breathing exercises, such as pursed-lip breathing and diaphragmatic breathing, upper-limb exercises, and inspiratory muscle training. These activities were performed for 4 weeks in twenty one patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pre and post-rehabilitation pulmonary function and exercise capacities were compared after the 4 week period. Results are as follows: 1) Before the rehabilitation, the predicted value of FVC and FEV1 of the patients were 70.3+/-16.7% and 41.1+/-11.9% respectively. These pulmonary functions did not change after pulmonary rehabilitation. 2) Aloility of walking a 6 minute distance (325.29+/-122.24 vs 363.03+/-120.01 p=.01) and dyspnea (p=.00) were significantly improved after rehabilitation. Thus showing that pulmonary rehabilitation for 4 weeks can improve exercise performance and dyspnea in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Breathing Exercises ; Dyspnea ; Exercise ; Exercise Tolerance ; Humans ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive* ; Rehabilitation* ; Respiration ; Walking