Breakthrough Rehabilitation Technology Benefits 100 Million COPD Patients

2026-06-06

Have you paid attention to your lungs lately?

Have you noticed that over the past year or two, the lungs have become the body organ people worry about most?

Early-year flu outbreaks saw influenza A and B strike in succession, packing hospital fever clinics. Many elderly patients were admitted to intensive care units due to severe breathlessness.

Long COVID aftereffects lingered for countless people: one month after testing negative, they still struggle with recurring shortness of breath, fatigue and chest tightness, getting winded after just a short walk.

Mycoplasma pneumonia surges in autumn and winter afflict both children and adults, pushing the term “white lung” back onto trending lists.

Per new national policy effective September 2024, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been officially included in China’s National Basic Public Health Service Programme, on an equal footing with hypertension and diabetes. This signals the country is launching a nationwide initiative against COPD.

Why has COPD been elevated to such priority status all of a sudden?

Because it is prevalent, insidious and life-threatening.

Nearly 100 million people in China live with COPD, with a prevalence rate of 13.7% among adults aged 40 and above standing at 13.7%. Most patients only seek medical help once they suffer severe dyspnea, by which time the condition has advanced to moderate, severe or even end-stage COPD.

What is more alarming is that once end-stage COPD patients develop an acute exacerbation (AECOPD) requiring hospitalisation, many cannot even get out of bed to walk.

Prolonged bed rest leads to muscle wasting, which worsens breathlessness and discourages physical activity, creating a vicious cycle.

This is no alarmist claim, but a harsh reality unfolding around us every day.

This begs the critical question:

Are end-stage COPD patients plagued by breathlessness at the slightest movement doomed to stay bedridden waiting for improvement?

The answer is no.

End-stage AECOPD: How to exercise when breathless with minimal movement?

Conventionally, patients with very severe AECOPD are advised to rest quietly. Even mild physical activity may trigger severe dyspnea, hypoxemia and even raise the risk of heart failure.

As a result, prolonged bed rest leads to muscular atrophy, poor physical stamina and depressive mood among patients, trapping them in a vicious cycle.

However, modern rehabilitation medicine has proven that inactivity only worsens their conditions and brings greater risks.

A clinical study conducted at Jiading District Central Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences has delivered encouraging findings: supine ergometer cycling training enables these patients to exercise safely while lying down.

Research Verified Significant Therapeutic Effects of Supine Ergometer Training

Researchers divided 80 hospitalized patients with very severe AECOPD into two groups:
Control group: conventional medication plus breathing training
Intervention group: conventional treatment combined with additional supine ergometer cycling training
The training protocol was straightforward: patients trained in semi-recumbent or supine positions by pedalling the ergometer once daily for 25 minutes. Resistance started at zero and was increased gradually.
Encouraging results were observed:
Quadriceps strength improved significantly from 224 N to 267 N, while nearly no change was seen in the control group;
Repetitions of the one-minute sit-to-stand test rose markedly from 18.6 to 23.1, indicating greatly enhanced lower-extremity mobility;
The mMRC dyspnea scale score dropped substantially from 3.57 to 3.05, meaning patients experienced less shortness of breath and more stable mobility.
In short: patients gained stronger leg muscle strength, eased dyspnea, improved functional capacity and achieved better quality of life.
Crucially, no severe adverse events occurred throughout the trial, verifying the safety and feasibility of this training regimen for very severe patients.
Able to pedal is not enough; scientific pedalling matters – professional equipment is essential
You may wonder what type of ergometer enables bedridden critically ill patients to train safely.
Here comes the core equipment behind the clinical research: medical-grade supine ergometers.
Distinct from ordinary fitness bikes, medical ergometers must meet the following specifications:
Ultra-low starting resistance (as low as 5 watts) for extremely deconditioned patients;
Precisely adjustable resistance with tolerance below 2%, independent of pedalling speed;
Real-time vital sign monitoring (heart rate, blood pressure and SpO₂);
Emergency stop and alarm system to halt operation instantly upon abnormal readings.
In this field, cardiopulmonary rehabilitation training systems and various ergometer models developed by Yufeng Medical are purpose-built to satisfy such clinical requirements.

Supine Ergometer: An Effective Rehabilitation Tool for Patients with Very Severe AECOPD

Yufeng Medical’s supine ergometer adopts a microprocessor-controlled electromagnetic eddy current resistance system with a load range of 5 to 999 watts and a minimum incremental adjustment of 1 watt. Its fore-and-aft adjustable seat allows patients to maintain a semi-recumbent position, imposing minimal cardiopulmonary strain, making it ideal for obese, frail and mobility-impaired users.
Bedside Rehabilitation Ergometer: In-bed Physical Training Available

For critically ill patients confined entirely to bed, Yufeng also provides bedside ergometers. The main training unit is height-adjustable and can be wheeled right beside the bed, enabling patients to complete lower-limb pedalling training in a supine position. It features a load range of 10–200 watts and a rotational speed ranging from 0 to 70 RPM. Easy to relocate, it serves as an optimal rehabilitation option for ICUs and respiratory wards.
Equipped with an intelligent control system to ensure training safety

What deserves extra attention is the dedicated cardiopulmonary rehabilitation software system matched with Yufeng’s ergometers, which delivers the following functions:
Real-time monitoring of training metrics for multiple patients (power output, pedaling speed, heart rate, SpO₂ and blood pressure);
Customized early-warning alarm settings;
Automatic generation of training reports to facilitate physicians’ rehabilitation protocol modification;
Multiple pre-set exercise prescriptions available alongside manual parameter adjustment.
These functions are highly consistent with the training protocol adopted in the clinical study. In the trial, clinicians modulated exercise load according to patients’ Borg Scale scores with continuous ECG monitoring to secure safe training thresholds. Yufeng’s digitalized intelligent system enables full data recording and traceability of the whole process.
COPD is recognized not only as a lifestyle-related disease but also a myopathy affecting skeletal muscle.
Medications can relieve airway obstruction yet fail to halt muscular atrophy. Muscular function forms the physical foundation that allows patients to step outside for walks, daily grocery shopping and family companionship.
This clinical study draws a clear conclusion:
Even during the phase of very severe acute exacerbation, bedridden waiting for spontaneous recovery is not advisable for patients.
Proper, individualized and medically supervised exercise training is never an extra burden but an indispensable component of standard treatment.
A professional medical-grade ergometer acts as the vital bridge linking prolonged bed confinement to functional recovery and independent ambulation.

Pre: Stiff knees, slow walking, trouble squatting down? Don’t tough it out! Rehabilitation specialists: This stationary cycling routine delivers far better results than medication after 12 weeks.

Next: A 6-minute walk test can predict future cardiopulmonary health.

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Breakthrough Rehabilitation Technology Benefits 100 Million COPD Patients