Objective To explore the application effect of respiratory nerve muscle electrical stimulation combined with respiratory exercise training in elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Method A total of 82 elderly individuals with COPD admitted to Kaifeng Central Hospital from March 2022 to October 2024 were included in this study. The random number table method was used, these patients were equally divided into the control group and the observation group, with 41 cases in each group. The control group patients received routine treatment, routine care, and respiratory exercise training, while the observation group patients received combined respiratory nerve and muscle electrical stimulation on the basis of the control group, all of which were continuously intervened for 8 weeks. The pulmonary function indexes, dyspnea degree and quality of life before and after intervention were compared between the two groups. Result After intervention, the levels of lung function indexes in both groups were significantly higher than those before intervention (all P＜0.05), and the observation group was significantly higher than thoses in the control group (all P＜0.05). After intervention, the scores of the modified British Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale (mMRC) and the COPD assessment test (CAT) in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P＜0.05). Conclusion The combination of respiratory nerve muscle electrical stimulation and respiratory exercise training is helpful to optimize the lung function of elderly patients with COPD, relieve respiratory discomfort and improve the quality of life.