Some evidence suggests breathing exercises may benefit people with asthma, says Hill. There are a number of different breathing techniques, including the Papworth method, the Buteyko technique, yoga breathing, and deep diaphragmatic breathing, all of which tend to focus on controlled nasal breathing. The following four treatments have some promising research to support their use, but experts say more evidence is needed to conclusively say where they fit into asthma management. Complementary Therapies for Asthma With Limited Evidence On days when the air quality outdoors is unhealthy, it’s best not to break a sweat outside, the American Lung Association says. And stop any activity if you become short of breath, begin to cough, or start to feel pain or tightening in your chest, states the American Lung Association. “Your doctor may recommend medications to help prevent attacks,” she says. In another trial, published in October 2020 in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, researchers found exercise helped improve asthma control when compared with breathing exercises among people with moderate to severe asthma.īe sure to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise regimen to avoid exercise-induced asthma, says Dr. Hill, MD, the director of clinical research at Waterbury Pulmonary Associates in Connecticut and a member of the American Lung Association’s national board of directors.Ī trial published in August 2019 in Scientific Reports found that for mild to moderate asthma, a 24-week exercise plan involving aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes three times a week, plus strength-training and stretching, helped improve asthma control and reduced shortness of breath. “If we look at exercise training, there’s strong evidence that it improves cardiovascular fitness, and that it improves quality of life,” says David G. Although, per the American Lung Association, exercise can sometimes trigger asthma symptoms (known as exercise-induced bronchoconstriction), research has shown regular exercise when done safely can help improve asthma control, too. When it comes to natural and complementary treatment approaches for asthma with high-quality evidence to back up their use, exercise stands out as the intervention with the most data behind it. Which Complementary Treatments for Asthma Have Evidence to Show They Work? ![]() If you're wondering which approaches might help when it comes to asthma management, here’s what you should know. Skipping prescribed medications can have dangerous consequences, according to Mayo Clinic. ![]() “While some natural remedies may help, they should not replace the medications prescribed by someone’s doctor,” says Lakiea Wright, MD, a board-certified allergist and immunologist and an associate physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. If you are going to try a “natural remedy” or complementary therapy for asthma, know that it’s not a substitute for your conventional asthma medication. For example, “Many have shown benefits in animals only,” Peters explains. It’s important to note right off the bat that certain things touted as potential remedies or complementary therapies for asthma, such as supplements, aren’t regulated in the same way prescription drugs are, and consumers should pay attention to the details of the research backing up any claims made, Dr. Popular options advertised as “alternative treatments” with claims of enhancing symptom control aren't automatically safe to use, says Anju Tripathi Peters, MD, a professor in the division of allergy, immunology, otolaryngology, and head and neck surgery at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. So, clearly, they’re popular - but when it comes to asthma, are they safe to use? “Natural remedies” can fall into one or both these categories.Īs of 2012, more than 30 percent of American adults turned to complementary therapies or alternative medicine, per the NCCIH. ![]() If you have asthma, odds are you’ve come across products marketed as “natural remedies,” “complementary therapies,” or “alternative treatments” for asthma symptoms.Īccording to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), complementary therapies involve using nontraditional practices in combination with traditional medicine, whereas alternative treatments are used instead of traditional medicine.
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