Relaxation Therapy in Asthma: A Critical Review

Abstract

This review discusses the relationship between the psychological and physiological factors responsible for airways in asthma and indicates the mechanisms by which psychological methods of treatment may influence airway caliber. The effects of mental and muscular relaxation therapy, systematic desensitization, and biofeedback-assisted relaxation are evaluated in children and adults with asthma. The methodology and results of studies are analyzed critically to present a balanced opinion of the subjective and objective effects of these methods of treatment. Muscular relaxation therapy alone appears to have no effect. Certain mental relaxation techniques, such as autogenic training and transcendental mediation, systematic desensitization, and biofeedback-assisted relaxation, can produce subjective improvement as well as clinically significant improvement in respiratory function and other objective parameters. As with any therapy the response is variable and is influenced by factors such as age and severity of asthma.

Improvement of respiratory function in chronic asthmatic patients with autogenic therapy

“…The fact that seven out of the eight respiratory function parameters studied by us obtained an improvement over 15% from its initial values reflects an important clinical improvement, as Erskine-Milliss and Schonnell [21] and Cluss [24] already stated.…”

“…Statistical analysis manifests no significant differences in any of the eight respiratory function parameters studied by us. The amount of improvement observed in this group does not reach values 15 % higher, which are necessary in order to consider such improvement as clinically significant, as Erskine-Milliss and Schonnell [21] and Cluss [24] remark.…”

“…Improvement is also observed in FEF 25-75 %, FEF 25-75-% PRE and MEF 50-% PRE although with a less statistical significance (p < 0.05). This relevant improvement recorded by these physiological measurements indicates that autogenic therapy achieves an important beneficial effect in airways obtaining a real improvement in airflow limitation [19,20,21].…”

“…Although pharmacological treatment continues to be the main therapy [18] in most asthmatic disorders, more attention should be paid to the relevance of psychotherapy for this disorder [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26] . Furthermore, psychopathological manifestations can be complicated by the direct action of conventional pharmacological therapy, which may induce anxiety, nausea, vomiting, headaches, tremor and insomnia [27] .…”

Personality Characteristics and Dysthymic States in Bronchial Asthma

“…Among the traits reported in adults were: inhibition, introversive tendencies and low dominance [32], dependency [6,30], re pressed hostility and dependency [1,10,14,27], latent aggressiveness [29] and covert ag gressiveness [30], and among the states, anxi ety and depression [9,19,26,34], Dependen cy, insecurity [28] and low primary reactivity [18] have also been reported in asthmatic children. Independent of their psychogenic, physiogenic or temperamental origin, these traits were thought to render prospective asthmatics vulnerable to [34] or dissonant with [18] emotional stresses.…”