Okay, helpful for asthma, not helpful for asthma. What gives?
Yoga is, in the words of the NIH scientist in the video, “under researched.” In addition, the human organism is a complex web of systems, involving factors that are often hard to quantify or measure even by the most rigorous scientific study.
Still, doesn’t it seem logical that yoga would help asthma sufferers? Asthma is a chronic inflammation of the airways, with periodic spasms and swelling that lead to wheezing or gasping for air. Triggers for spasms include cold air, exercise, pollutants or allergens, and stress. This is a bit like saying that asthma is triggered by stress, stress, stress, and stress. We think of stress as something psychological, but in medical terms, a “stressor” is anything that might stimulate the body’s protective responses.
When we are stressed physically or emotionally, we tend to breath from the upper chest, taking rapid, short inhalations. This type of breathing actually compounds the fight-or-flight response, adding fuel to the fire. For someone already struggling to breathe because of asthma, the stress-relieving aspects of yoga are even more critical.
In 2007, at a conference sponsored by the International Association of Yoga Therapists, a yoga teacher presented her studies showing yoga practice reduced salivary cortisol—a hormone released during periods of stress. A recent study suggests that yoga integrated with spiritual practices (vs. strictly “athletic yoga”) is the key to taming stress.
Prolonged stress has a hidden, cellular-level effect that doctors are only beginning to understand—inflammation. The body’s inflammatory response is designed to protect us, but when the immune system is overactive or sensitized, chronic inflammation can result, and protective substances like cytokines and interleukins may start attacking healthy cells. Some doctors now view chronic inflammation as a contributing factor in nearly all degenerative conditions, from asthma to diabetes to heart disease.
In a 2010 Ohio State study, women lowered their blood levels of cytokine and interleukin after a regular yoga practice incorporating mantra and meditation. A recent UCLA study showed that eight weeks of yoga meditation reduced blood proteins linked to increased inflammation.
Aha, you may be thinking! This is why yoga improves so many conditions, because it reduces stress and therefore inflammation. But while you may not need another study to prove that yoga works, many doctors—and insurance companies—do. With one of nine insured asthma sufferers unable to afford medication (and two of five uninsured—40 percent!), it makes sense to promote yoga as an adjunct therapy.
Has asana, pranayama, or meditation helped you or anyone you know find relief from asthma?
I have been practicing hatha and a bit of pranayama yoga and I must say that it has improved my breathing tremendously. I would advice you to start with hatha first as it is ideal if you are a beginner.
