Yoga can help patients manage their asthma more effectively and increase quality of life. Not only does it relieve symptoms while improving lung function, but yoga may even decrease medication requirements.
Francesco Chiappella, 78 years old and diagnosed with asthma and allergies, practices yoga two times each week in order to manage his condition and has seen improvements in his breathing.
Breathing
Yoga breathing exercises help individuals control their breath, an essential component of asthma control. Furthermore, yogic meditation helps calm the mind – another key aspect in avoiding asthma attacks.
Ujjayi Pranayama, Kapalabhati Pranayama and Bhramari Pranayama (Bee Breath) can all prove helpful for asthma sufferers. These breathing techniques open the chest, strengthen respiratory muscles and promote deep, slow breathing.
Researchers who conducted a study of yoga for asthma found that it improved quality of life and reduced symptoms, increased peak expiratory flow rates, and reduced anti-asthmatic medication usage. Unfortunately, due to low completion rates and high bias risk of bias limits firm conclusions regarding its effectiveness as an anti-asthmatic medication alternative; further investigation should continue with regards to Yoga as complementary treatment option, potentially helping reduce needless medication side effects while creating more positive attitudes among sufferers with asthma.
Posture
As taught in yoga, practicing posture exercises can strengthen the body and promote a sense of control while helping reduce anxiety, which is often the source of asthma attacks.
Yoga poses can not only strengthen core, back, and shoulder muscles but can also help you regain control of your breathing. Deep and even breathing helps lower respiratory rates. Slowing flare-ups while taking in more oxygen helps alleviate symptoms during an attack.
One study discovered that regular yoga practice greatly improved the quality of life for those living with asthma, reducing medication reliance and relieving acute symptoms more effectively. Researchers examined 15 RCTs with 1,048 participants who undertook yoga, breathing, and relaxation practices – Yoga was shown to increase quality of life by an impressive 0.5 units on a seven-point scale (Cooper 2003; Sabina 2005; Sodhi 2009; Vempati 2009; Singh 2012; Prem 2013), making significant gains for both women and men alike.
Relaxation
Yoga practice can help improve posture and breathing, potentially alleviating asthma symptoms. Yoga also reduces stress, which is often the source of asthma attacks.
One study showed that people with mild to moderate asthma who participated regularly in yoga classes experienced improved quality of life compared with a control group. They experienced fewer asthma attacks and needed less medication for controlling their condition than the control group.
A meta-analysis of 15 RCTs demonstrated yoga had positive impacts on quality of life, symptom scores and some spirometry measures; however, its strength of evidence was compromised due to low quality studies with high risks of bias and weak methodologies.
Stress Management
Yoga helps individuals remain calm in times of emergency, which is especially useful for people living with asthma who experience frequent panic attacks that may trigger flare-ups and make breathing harder than normal.
Yoga appears to improve the quality of life and symptom scores among individuals who practice, although its high risk of bias and heterogeneity limits firm conclusions. Furthermore, Yoga appears to enhance spirometry measures like forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and peak flow rate, without increasing FEV1/FVC ratios significantly.
Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) can provide relief for asthma sufferers. Furthermore, breathing techniques like alternate nostril breathing or bee breath can open the chest and increase lung capacity – leading to decreased medication need. By practicing these strategies regularly it may even be possible to reduce medication dependency for asthma sufferers.
