Breathing Exercises for Asthma

Despite the advances in pharmacological therapy for asthma, there has been an increasing worldwide interest in alternative therapies for asthma. Treatments and therapies such as yoga, acupuncture, homeopathy, hypnosis and Buteyko and other breathing techniques have been used as complementary therapies however little evidence exists behind such practices. Data from systemic reviews and randomized control trials provide evidence of benefit although additional confirmation is still needed. Among the most common techniques are the Buteyko breathing exercises that aim to reduce minute ventilation by instruct asthmatics patients to breathe shallowly and slowly through the nose. The second common technique is the Pranayama, or yoga breathing exercises which emphasizes deep respirations and exhalation prolongation. Our goal is to assess the effectiveness of breathing exercises as a complementary therapy for asthma.