For the estimated 20.3 million adults and 6.3 million children in the U.S. who suffer from asthma, the primary treatment is the use of medications to help reduce the underlying inflammation in the airways.
A recent study by members of the Association of Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback (AAPB) is one of the first to explore the use of biofeedback as a complementary treatment to medication. And the results of this nascent study generated promising results.
The study, published in CHEST, the official journal of the American Academy of Chest Physicians, specifically evaluated the effectiveness of heart rate variability biofeedback on asthma. Heart rate variability (HRV) refers to a complex pattern of oscillations in heart rate, which occurs at various overlapping frequencies. In part, HRV is affected by respiration. It also is related to other reflexes, including those responsible for regulation of blood pressure and body temperature. HRV tends to be decreased in patients with various diseases, particularly those affecting the cardiovascular and/or central nervous systems. It also decreases during periods of stress.
Ninety-four outpatient, paid adult volunteers participated in the study. All subjects were first pre-stabilized on controller medication and then randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: 1) a “full protocol” of traditional treatment combined with heart rate variability biofeedback and training in abdominal breathing through pursed lips; 2) heart rate variability biofeedback alone; 3) placebo biofeedback; 4) and a waiting list control. Subjects recorded asthma symptoms daily and measurements were taken before and after each weekly treatment session for groups one through three, and periodically in the waiting list group.