Ahmedabad: Yoga makes Covid-19 patients breathe easy

AHMEDABAD: It's 9 o'clock and 20-odd patients in the Covid-19 hospital at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) on the Civil Hospital campus are seated on their beds. Dr Kinjal Solanki, an anaesthetist donning a PPE, demonstrates pranayama breathing exercises and easy yoga postures that are practised by her patients ranging from 28-year-old youth to a septuagenarian lady.
"I have practiced yoga for eight years. Earlier, we used videos of yogasana and pranayama for patients but then I volunteered for physical demonstration," said Dr Solanki. "Two sessions of 30 minutes each in the morning and evening help improve breathing and psychological well-being. The routine is designed in a way not to cause exertion."
As the world would get on the mat to mark International Yoga Day on Sunday, this year's celebration is focused on how yoga can help Covid-19 patients.
Dr Devashree Patel, visiting faculty at Department of Life Sciences, Gujarat University, said that she co-authored a study which found that the patients with low Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) indicating a person's maximum speed of breathing out air and low blood oxygen (SpO2) showed marked improvement with guided yoga training for six to 12 months. The study had 50 individuals with hypertension and low PEFR, SpO2 from Ahmedabad.
“In Covid-19 scenario, blood oxygen level is an important marker for severity of the infection. While we have not worked directly with any Covid-19 patients, the findings are believed to hold true for Coronavirus patients with respiratory symptoms,” said Dr Devashree Patel, who is also a yoga instructor. “It is advisable for patients to practise in guidance of a teacher.”
The study had included six exercises - Yogic prayer, pranayama, stretching, asana, Suryanamaskar and meditation. The end results showed that PEFR improved from less than 400 litres per minute (l/min) to up to 640 l/ min. SpO2 levels reached more than 95% in all 50 participants whichwas80-90% in 41of the participants at the start of the study.
Dr Tushar Patel, a city-based pulmonologist and critical care specialist who is member of the expert panel constituted by the state government for Covid-19, said that regular pranayama have shown good results among patients with breathing issues.
“Covid-19 targets lungs and restricts its capacity – often causing breathlessness. Somebreathing exerciseshelp patients.Thus, it’s included at hospitals. However, it should always be done after consultation with experts,” said Dr Patel.