COPD is the abbreviation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
It is a chronic and slow progressive lung disease which, like asthma, arises as a result of a narrowing of the airways. Hereby the airflow in the lungs decreases gradually and the air transportation to the lungs becomes more difficult.
While, in case of asthma, the narrowing of the airways is reversible, in COPD the complaints will manifest after the age of 45 years and are not reversible anymore.
In more than 9/10 cases COPD is a result of long term smoking. That’s why the term “smokers lung” is often used.
One distinguishes two types of COPD, each with their own characteristics. They can occur separately or together.
- Chronic bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis is a chronic inflammation and a narrowing of the airways whereby the protection layer and the cilia which removes the slime out of the lungs, becomes damaged.
- Emphysema
Emphysema is the result of a progressive damaging of the alveoli and their walls. Thereby the lungs lose their flexibility. During expiration not all the air is released out of the lungs. Emphysema is found in the more worsened cases of COPD.
The MNITherapy has no curing effect on COPD but in our daily practice we see that patients do benefit. Particularly the intensive mobilisation of the structures which surround the lungs can provoke easier breathing. Patients become more mobile which will benefit their quality of life.
