Asthma sufferers reduce need for inhalers by breathing exercises

Scientists in Australia say that people with mild asthma benefit from exercises that focus on shallow breathing through the nose, as well as non-specific upper body exercises, and can reduce the need to use a bronchodilator inhaler by as much as 86 per cent.

Researchers at the University of Sydney, Australia say that many people with asthma rely on puffs of a short-acting beta-2 agonist, such as albuterol, to relieve breathing difficulties.

They also say that breathing exercises are among the most popular complementary medicine techniques used by people with asthma.

Dr. C. A. Slader and colleagues in order to assess the benefits of shallow breathing and the upper body exercise approach, which are completely different, analysed the outcomes of 57 patients with mild asthma who were randomly assigned to perform one of the two breathing techniques twice daily for 30 weeks.

They found that the techniques provided similar improvements in asthma outcomes.

The team suggests that the benefits "were not due to the use of a particular type of exercise, but to the process of both routine and as-required exercises that reinforce a message of relaxation and self-efficacy and provide a deferral strategy for beta-2 agonist use".

The team assessed the outcomes of 57 patients with mild asthma who were randomly assigned to perform one of the two breathing techniques twice daily for 30 weeks.

The group learnt one of two exercise techniques; one group was taught to take only shallow breaths through the nose, which they practiced twice a day, and to hold their breath - all elements of the Buteyko method, which is regarded by doctors as an unproven, alternative medicine technique.

The other group learnt shoulder rotations, arm exercises and relaxation techniques.

All those in the trial were instructed to try the exercises first if they experienced an asthma attack, and only to use their reliever medicine if the symptoms did not improve.

After 12 weeks the average decrease in reliever use in both groups was 86 per cent, while the participants were also able to reduce their reliance on inhaled corticosteroids used to prevent attacks - decreasing the dose by about half.

The breathing exercise focused on hypoventilation, breath holding after exhalation, and breathing through the nose.

The upper body exercise involved shoulder rotations and arm lifts performed in sync with breathing cycles.

Neither intervention had a significant effect on quality of life, lung function, or constriction of the airways in response to asthma triggers.

However, both forms of exercise training were associated with an 86 percent reduction in the use of a beta-2 agonist reliever, and a 50 percent drop in the dose of inhaled corticosteroids.

Slader and his colleagues say there is at present no evidence to favour shallow breathing techniques over non-specific upper body maneuvers.

The study is published in the BMJ journal Thorax, June 5, 2006.