While efficacy of Ayurvedic medicines on asthma is yet to be ascertained, a research conducted in India, Europe and US has suggested that practicing the ancient art yoga can have beneficial effect on the patients suffering with the chronic condition.
“Our findings suggest that yoga exercise may lead to small improvements in asthma quality of life and symptoms,” said lead author Zuyao Yang from Chinese University of Hong Kong of the study, published in the Cochrane library on Wednesday.
However, he added that it was “unclear whether yoga has a consistent impact on lung function and we don’t yet know if yoga can reduce people’s medication usage, or if there are any side-effects of yoga for people with asthma. “
A common chronic disease, Asthma affects about 300 million people worldwide. The many typical symptoms of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
The study involved 15 randomised controlled trials involving 1,048 men and women. The majority of participants had mild to moderate asthma for six months to more than 23 years. Six studies looked into the effects of breathing alone during yoga exercise, whilst the other studies assessed the effects of yoga that included breathing, posture and meditation.
It was found some moderate quality evidence from five studies that yoga exercise reduces the impact of asthma on people’s quality of life. However, the researchers have called for more studies in this direction.
Deputy Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane Airways Group, Rebecca Normansell, added, “At present, we just don’t have enough high quality evidence to determine the effects of yoga as a type of exercise for helping people manage their asthma. Because there is uncertainty about the effects of yoga on lung function and use of asthma medication, it’s important that people with asthma continue to take their medication, as prescribed.”
Dr Randeep Guleria head of Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders at AIIMS said Yoga can help lessen Asthma sufferings but should not be seen as a replacement to medication for it.
last year, Dr Guleria, along with his colleagues from AIIMS in a study found that cost-effective yoga exercises provide improvements that are just as effective traditional pulmonary rehabilitation methods in improving lung function of patients, with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD is a progressive lung disorder that makes it hard to breathe.
The researchers found that yoga can improve pulmonary function, exercise capacity, and indices of systemic inflammation in patients with COPD.
Yoga poses for Asthma
Nadi Shodhan pranayama , Kapal Bhati pranayama, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Pavanamuktasana, Setu Bandhasana, Bhujangasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Badhakonasana , Poorvottanasana, Shavasana