Clinical Study of Yoga Techniques in University Students with Asthma: A Controlled Study

Abstract

Adult asthmatics, ranging from 19 to 52 years from an asthma and allergy clinic in a university setting volunteered to participate in the study. The 17 students were randomly divided into yoga (9 subjects) and nonyoga control (8 subjects) groups. The yoga group was taught a set of breathing and relaxation techniques including breath slowing exercises (pranayama), physical postures (yogasanas), and meditation. Yoga techniques were taught at the university health center, three times a week for 16 weeks. All the subjects in both groups maintained daily symptom and medication diaries, collected A.M. and P.M. peak flow readings, and completed weekly questionnaires. Spirometry was performed on each subject every week. Analysis of the data showed that the subjects in the yoga group reported a significant degree of relaxation, positive attitude, and better yoga exercise tolerance. There was also a tendency toward lesser usage of beta adrenergic inhalers. The pulmonary functions did not vary significantly between yoga and control groups. Yoga techniques seem beneficial as an adjunct to the medical management of asthma.

Psychological adjustment and sleep quality in a randomized trial of the effects of a Tibetan yoga intervention in patients with lymphoma

“…11 Although yoga has been used for centuries in the East to treat disease, 12,13 it has gained recognition for this purpose only recently in the West. In particular, it has been found that yoga is useful for treating various forms of arthritis, 14 lessening the severity of musculoskeletal disease, 14,15 decreasing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks, 16 improving peak expiratory flow rates in patients with bronchial asthma, 17 and improving the lipid profile of patients with coronary artery disease 18 ; and one small study showed that yoga was useful for controlling aspects of hypertension. 19 There is also some research suggesting that yoga may be useful for decreasing the frequency and duration of epileptic seizures, although the findings remain equivocal.…”

Physiology of Long Pranayamic Breathing: Neural Respiratory Elements may Provide a Mechanism that Explains How Slow Deep Breathing Shifts the Autonomic Nervous System

“…A Buteyko breathing device, which mimics pranayama, was shown to improve symptoms and reduce bronchodilator use in asthma patients [5,7]. Pranayama has also been shown, over time, to reduce oxygen consumption per unit work [11].…”

Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system

“…Although all pranayama has three phases, different forms of pranayama evoke dissimilar and sometimes opposite responses in the subject depending on variables such as which nostril is used or the speed of the respiration. Pranayama has been researched mostly for its beneficial applications in treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension [2][3][4], pulmonary disease such as asthma [5][6][7], autonomic nervous system imbalances [8], and psychologic or stress related disorders [4,9].…”