COPD – Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

An article by Lynn Turner:

A couple of weeks ago on a beautiful sunny Friday, I wandered down the street in Bathgate and on to the market. The purpose was not to start Christmas shopping, way too early for that!… or to grab a bargain at the car boot sale… but to raise awareness of massage and the benefits that it can provide to people from all walks of life and to let people know where we are.

I didn’t have a stand or a soap box, just a few colourful leaflets form Wee Sally’s to hand to people should they be interested. On my way out of the market, I came across a gazebo with some lovely ladies form the NHS who were conducting lung capacity tests in relation to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).

I stopped to speak to them about massage and the benefits that may be of interest and then got roped into taking the test! I am delighted to say that my lung age is 3 years younger than my real age, not that impressive? Not until you come to know more about how poor lung function can affect peoples lives and that often people have a lung age far exceeding their actual years!

The Science Bit…
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a term for lung diseases that are long term and result in excessive mucus which obstructs breathing. The main diseases associated with COPD are Asthma, Bronchitis, and Emphysema. Those suffering from COPD often experience shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest, and chronic cough. High blood pressure is also associated with those who suffer from COPD. In addition to physical problems COPD sufferers face; this illness can also cause a great deal of mental and emotional stress such as depression and anxiety.

http://kyhealingarts.com/home/copd_massage

Treating COPD:
Medications include Inhaled steroids and antibiotics: Therapies include oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation : Surgery could mean Lung volume reduction surgery and lung transplant (Sources – Mayo Clinic)

As well as all of the medical interventions accessed there is a Holistic approach not always considered,  sought, known or accessible  to sufferers. Some research is coming through in relation to how Therapeutic massage can affect real health benefits. It has been found that Asthma sufferers who received weekly 15 minute massage therapy treatments reported reduced chest tightness, wheezing, physical pain and fatigue thus giving people much needed relief from their symptoms (Munson and Yekyal 1995: submitted by John W.Reimer, RMT with references from MTABC publications)

The Holistic Approach
When I went through my massage training and became therapist I became passionate about making massage accessible to more people more of the time as I believed that it has real health benefits.

Massage is not a standalone option for treating COPD and cannot stop or cure the deterioration caused but there are real benefits that are worth considering.

• Shortness of Breath and difficulty breathing/excessive mucus production – Therapeutic Massage techniques can be applied to break-up and loosen the accumulated mucus from the chest so it can be expelled

• Chronic pain felt in the neck, shoulders, chest and abdomen, back and legs in some cases, these areas all contain breathing muscles that can become imbalanced -  Therapeutic Massage can help to restore balance enabling a greater lung capacity and relieve the pain

• High blood pressure and heart problems, anxiety and stress – the effect of Therapeutic massage on the nervous system holds great benefit. It enables the body to relax and self-heal. This is called the parasympathetic state. When this happens the blood pressure and heart rate lower, anxiety and stress are reduced,  and the function of the organs is improved.

• Depression – Therapeutic massage can also be helpful in treating depression by improving the quality of life creating a greater sense of well-being

In conclusion Therapeutic Massage has come to be regarded as a complement to conventional medicine.  Many of its positive effects seem to be mediated by increasing relaxation and decreasing stress hormones such as cortisol. For COPD, a massage can strengthen respiratory muscles, reduce heart rate, increase oxygen saturation in blood, decrease shortness of breath, and improve pulmonary function thus helping those suffering from COPD to make living with the condition more manageable (http://copdlighthouse.blogspot.com/2008/04/copd-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary.html)

Check out what Wee Sally’s can offer in terms of supporting sufferers of COPD to achieve a better quality of life and help to provide some additional pain relief.

It is always advised that you discuss any change in treatment with your Doctor

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/copd/DS00916