(NaturalPath) According to a study by the Cochrane Review, yoga may have a beneficial effect on symptoms and quality of life in people with asthma, while the effects on lung function and medication use are uncertain. Asthma is a common chronic disease that affects about 300 million people worldwide, while yoga has been gaining popularity as a form of exercise for its general lifestyle benefits. Recently, researchers have looked into whether yoga can help those suffering from the wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and shortness of breath associated with asthma.
The researchers looked through a series of databases and looked at randomized controlled trials that compared yoga with usual care, or even no intervention. The study wanted to evaluate what happened to the participants’ quality of life, asthma symptom score, asthma control, lung function measures, asthma medication usage, and note if there were any adverse events.
The study included 15 randomized, controlled trials that ended up including 1,048 participants and the majority were adults with mild to moderate asthma for six months to more than 23 years.
They found moderate-quality evidence that yoga probably leads to small improvements in quality of life and symptoms in people with asthma. However, they noted that there is more uncertainty about potential adverse effect of yoga and its impact on lung function and medication usage. More, larger sample size studies need to be conducted, but if you have asthma, try some yoga.
Razi Berry, Founder and Publisher of Naturopathic Doctor News & Review (ndnr.com) and NaturalPath (thenatpath.com), has spent the last decade as a natural medicine advocate and marketing whiz. She has galvanized and supported the naturopathic community, bringing a higher quality of healthcare to millions of North Americans through her publications. A self-proclaimed health-food junkie and mother of two; she loves all things nature, is obsessed with organic gardening, growing fruit trees (not easy in Phoenix), laughing until she snorts, and homeschooling. She is a little bit crunchy and yes, that is her real name.