Laughter therapy can help people with COPD breathe more easily

A clinical trial for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) shows that laughter therapy can reduce breathing difficulties and is as effective as more traditional breathing exercises. The research was presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress in Barcelona, Spain. In the trial, patients were taught how to use deliberate laughter as a breathing exercise, compared directly with patients using traditional breathing exercises and a control group without exercises.

The study included 63 people with COPD being treated at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Türkiye, who were randomly assigned to laughter therapy, pursed-lip breathing exercises, or no breathing exercises. After the treatment period, patients receiving laughter therapy and those using pursed-lip breathing exercises had less difficulty breathing compared to the control group, along with better overall health.

Researchers state that laughter therapy offers an effective, low-cost treatment that patients can practice at home without equipment or specialist support. Dr. Goncagul Aldan, who presented the results, noted that the mechanisms behind laughter therapy in COPD remain poorly understood and require more comprehensive research. The researchers now hope to study laughter therapy on a larger scale.

Dr. Marc Miravitlles, vice president of the European Respiratory Society, noted that this is a small but well-run study looking at the potential benefits of laughter therapy or breathing exercises for people with COPD. He stated that laughter therapy is simple and low-cost, and expressed anticipation for further research in this area.