Abstract

Background: Regular yogic practices could be utilized for the effective management of clinical asthma. It acts by improving the airway dynamics; thus, disease severity can be controlled better. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to study the impact of adjunct treatment with yoga on disease severity, illness score, and drug dosage in children with controlled asthma.
Materials and Methods: Thirty asthmatic children attending pediatric asthma clinic were taken as study participants during their controlled state. They were further divided into two Groups I and II (Group I – no any additional intervention and not practicing yoga and Group II – practicing yoga). Group II children were taught and made sure to practice yoga for 45 min every day for 6 days a week for a period of 3 months under yoga expert supervision. Quantitative evaluation of clinical variables, drug dosage, severity score, and illness score was recorded at the time of recruitment and follow-up evaluation done at 6 and 12 weeks of yoga. The data were statistically analyzed.
Results: Asthmatic children practicing yoga had shown significant reduction in the illness score, severity of attacks, and drug dosage at 6 weeks and at 12 weeks of yoga practices. There was a significant decrease in school days lost in asthmatic children practicing yoga.
Conclusions: By improving illness score and drug dosage in asthmatic children, yoga helped them by reducing number of asthmatic attacks and school days lost. Yoga as an adjunct treatment has beneficial effect in asthmatic children.