A recently published study provides new insights into asthma treatment. The research results will expand treatment options for asthma and could also change treatment practices in the future. Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease in the world as more than 334 million people worldwide suffer from it. According to he study, this drug-free treatment can provide significant additional benefits in asthma treatment. A few minutes of daily exercises at home can alleviate asthma symptoms and significantly strengthen respiratory muscle power.
The increase in respiratory muscle strength has been observed to reduce the sensation of breathlessness in individuals with asthma and improve endurance during physical exercise.
The subjects trained daily for a few minutes with the breathing exercise device and took their asthma medications as usual. After a month of practicing, the subjects felt relief from many of their asthma symptoms, including coughing, shortness of breath, and mucus in the airways. Nearly 60% reported a significant reduction in phlegm cough symptoms as a result of the treatment.
After a month of training, the inhalation strength increased by an average of 20% compared to the control group, and the exhalation strength by 11%. It was also noteworthy that muscle strength was maintained during the study's follow-up period for 60 days, even if no further training took place. Such a strong increase in respiratory muscle strength can be considered physically significant. It has been shown that increasing respiratory muscle strength reduces breathlessness in asthmatics and improves endurance during physical performance. Improved respiratory muscle strength can also support faster recovery from respiratory infections and reduce the need for respiratory therapy.
For the study, the WellO2 breathing training device by Aulis Kärkkäinen from Finland was used. He developed the device to treat his asthma symptoms. The device was launched in 2016. WellO2 is the only device that combines resistance training of the exhalation and inhalation muscles with warm steam, and its technology has been patented worldwide. The device currently has over 100,000 users worldwide.
Read the research article:
Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging: Effects of low workload respiratory training with steam inhalation on lung function in stable asthma: A controlled clinical study
More information:
Katri Lindberg
Respiratory Specialist
katri.lindberg@wello2.com
Tuomas Mattelmäki
CEO
tuomas.mattelmaki@wello2.com