The Immediate Effects of Systematic Relaxation Training on Peak Expiratory Flow Rates in Asthmatic Children

Abstract

Clinical experience has often suggested that having asthmatic patients sit quietly and/or relax during asthma attacks is helpful. The present study was an attempt to provide a controlled experimental demonstration of the effect of systematic relaxation on peak expiratory flow rate in asthmatic children. Eighteen male and 18 female asthmatic children were divided into two groups matched for mean age, sex composition and asthma severity. One group of subjects underwent three sessions of modified jacobsonian systematic relaxation training, while the second group sat quietly for three sessions. Peak expiratory flow rate measures were obtained prior to and following each session. It was found that relaxation subjects manifested a significant mean increase in peak expiratory flow rate over sessions compared to a nonsignificant mean peak expiratory flow decrease for control subjects. It was suggested that these results have important implications both for the clinical treatment and the understanding of bronchial asthma.Physicians often ask asthmatic patients to rest or to sit quietly at the onset of and/or during an asthma attack. Patient report and clinical evidence both indicate that such a procedure often helps to mollify or alleviate wheezing. Experience at the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital (CARIH) suggests that some asthmatic children do benefit from purposeful nonexertion during attacks. Likewise, clinical observations at CARIH suggest that many asthmatics suffer disadvantages from the reciprocal situation -ie, that exertion can sometimes precipitate or aggravate asthma at-

A systematic review to examine the impact of psycho-educational interventions on health outcomes and costs in adults and children with difficult asthma

“…Two studies were published in the 1970s (Alexander, 1972, 363 Davis 382,383 ), eight in the 1980s (Alexander, 1988, 402 Backman, 385 Evans, 403 Gold, 418 Gustafsson, 419,420 McNabb, [412][413][414][415] Mitchell, 376 Westphal 410 ), 16 in the 1990s (Colland, 378 Collins, 407 Dahl, 381 Fisher, 408,409 Garrett, 404 Greineder, ). The breakdown of studies by decade of publication according to the main type of intervention evaluated is shown in Figure 4.…”

Efficacy of ‘Functional Relaxation’ in Comparison to Terbutaline and a ‘Placebo Relaxation’ Method in Patients with Acute Asthma

“…However, related efficacy studies have shown contradictory results. Occasionally, the effect of muscular relaxation on pulmonary function variables proved to be significant on a statistical level, but its effect has rarely been of clinically significant magnitude [6, 7]. One example of sufficient peripheral relaxation was provided by Glaus and Kotses [8, 9], who found a reliable correlation between facial muscle tension and airway caliber.…”

Psychological Interventions in Asthma

“…The trials used four broad psychological approaches; six studies included an element of relaxation in their intervention [10][11][12][13][14][15][16], two included cognitive behavioural therapy [17,18], and three used biofeedbackassisted relaxation and one behavioural therapy [14,[19][20][21]. Different placebos or controls were used, and rarely was the therapy delivered in its pure form, but, instead, therapists often combined therapies or tailored them to the individual's needs.…”

“…Unfortunately, with a total of 22 different outcome measures and the diversity of psychological therapies trialled, only data from two studies of relaxation therapy could be pooled for analysis [10,16]. The meta-analysis demonstrated a positive effect of relaxation therapy on lung function (PEFR) in the intervention group (32 L/min, 95 % CI 13 to 50 L/min).…”