Hidetaka Hamasaki’s review looks closely at how diaphragmatic breathing (DB) affects health, focusing on its impact on the brain, heart, lungs, and stomach systems by changing how the nervous system works.
Research Method and Findings
Hamasaki reviewed a lot of studies, including 10 systematic reviews and 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to see how effective DB is. The review shows that DB helps improve breathing and exercise ability in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It also might help reduce stress, treat eating disorders, constipation, high blood pressure, migraines, anxiety, and improve life quality in cancer and acid reflux patients.
Key Points from Systematic Reviews
The reviews suggest that DB really helps with breathing rate and exercise in COPD patients, but its effects on symptoms and life quality vary. For asthma, it’s still unclear how DB affects life quality and symptoms, so more research is needed.
Findings from Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
The RCTs show that DB is beneficial in many ways. It improves exercise ability in COPD patients, helps asthma patients breathe better, aids in treating eating issues in cancer patients, and increases stomach pressure in kids with chronic constipation.
DB’s Effects on Different Groups
The review also looks at how DB helps reduce stress, control blood pressure in people at risk of high blood pressure, ease breathing problems and increase physical activity in heart failure patients, and improve heart and lung functions in patients recovering from a stroke. It also shows potential in non-drug treatments for acid reflux, migraine relief, and reducing anxiety.
Conclusions and Practical Uses
Hamasaki concludes that while DB seems really helpful for various health issues, its exact role in treatment is still a bit unclear because some studies aren’t that high quality. However, DB is a practical and possible treatment for many disorders, and more research is needed to fully understand its long-term effects and benefits.
