Breathwork Training Reduces Anxiety In Outpatient Gastrointestinal Procedures

Preoperative anxiety is a well-documented phenomenon that affects up to 80% of surgical patients and is particularly prevalent in outpatient procedures, where patients have limited time to acclimate to the medical environment. This heightened anxiety can lead to increased sympathetic nervous system activation, which elevates heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and respiratory rate (RR), potentially complicating anesthesia induction and recovery.

Pharmaceutical agents such as benzodiazepines and opioids are commonly used to mitigate this anxiety. However, these medications are associated with side effects such as respiratory depression, delayed recovery, and increased cost. Non-pharmacologic interventions, including guided imagery, music therapy, and breathwork, have been investigated as adjunctive therapies for anxiety reduction with varying degrees of success.

Breathwork, particularly slow-paced breathing at a rate of six breaths per minute, has been shown to increase parasympathetic activity, improve autonomic balance and reduce physiologic stress markers. This study evaluates a structured, multisensory breath training intervention designed to facilitate paced breathing in patients undergoing outpatient gastrointestinal procedures.

In this prospective controlled study, 30 patients undergoing outpatient gastrointestinal (GI) procedures received a seven-minute pre-procedural breath training intervention and were compared to 30 matched retrospective controls. Physiologic parameters including heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and respiratory rate (RR) were measured pre- and post-intervention. Recovery time was also assessed.