Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a long-term lung
condition that makes it hard to breathe over time. It is a fact that
the effective
management of COPD disease
not only significantly improves patients' quality of life but also
reduces the frequency of exacerbations, decreases hospital
admissions, and enhances overall health outcomes. Various treatment
and therapy methods have been explored over the years. However, some
researchers were led to find alternative COPD therapy methods that
are effective but also easy to apply in daily life. There is one
method that we believe is not an obvious one: Singing. Singing
involves managing your lungs’ volume and airflow in a controlled
way. While we know singing is good for many things, it was not clear
how it affects people with COPD mentally, emotionally and
physiologically. Now, we may have an insight on that. As singing
therapy is considered a cost-effective, non-pharmacological, and
community-based intervention that might help COPD patients improve
their lung function, exercise capacity, and overall well-being, it
was worth conducting studies regarding that.
The Effectiveness of Singing on Mental and Psychological Health
The objective of the following study we will be discussing was to
investigate the mental and psychological benefits of singing for
patients with stable COPD. With the aim of achieving that, researchers
conducted a systematic review and analysis of randomized controlled
trials involving singing exercise as the primary intervention for
COPD. They searched various databases in English and Chinese, and they
assessed the quality of the included studies. The analysis involved a
total of 333 patients. The result of this thoroughly conducted study
indicated that singing could have a positive impact on the lives of
COPD patients.
Physical Benefits of Singing Therapy
It was revealed that singing was beneficial in terms of the physical
component of their quality of life, as it significantly improved lung
function: COPD patients that engaged in singing therapy showed
improvements in their lung capacity and the strength of their
respiratory muscles. The mentioned benefits are crucial for
individuals with COPD, as these individuals’ daily life is mainly
dependent on and restricted by these conditions. The acceptance and
completion rates of the singing therapy were promising, with a 75%
completion rate, although the dropout rate was around 22%. Another
good news is that there were no adverse events or negative side
effects reported during the therapy. Based on this study we can say
that singing can be a valuable therapy for COPD patients by increasing
their lung function, however it has limited effects on their mental
well-being and exercise capability.
Conclusion and Further Research
In conclusion, it has been found that a non-traditional,
non-pharmacological and cost-effective approach, such as singing, can
be implemented as an alternative therapy method for COPD patients- as
it can enhance the quality of life and lung function of individuals
with COPD. Further research with larger sample sizes is necessary to
better understand the full range of benefits that singing can offer to
COPD patients.
As Breathment, we too are searching for ways to improve the lives of
COPD patients and providing a cost effective and accessible form of
therapy. We provide our patients with exercises to gain control of
their COPD symptoms. These exercises are designed to perform from
home, which makes it easier to integrate them in daily life- just as
singing! Book your first online therapy to find out more about our
approach to respiratory care and download
Breathment Therapy Appfor free.
