Effectiveness of Buteyko Breathing Technique versus Nadi Shuddhi Pranayama to Improve Pulmonary Function in Subjects with Bronchial Asthma

Abstract

Background: Asthma is a chronic life-threatening disease as the airways in the lungs often swollen or inflamed, which makes the airways very sensitive. So, the exposure to the environment in day-to-day life triggers asthma. Asthma can affect at any age group. This study mainly focuses on comparing the effects of Buteyko breathing technique and Pranayama on improving Pulmonary Function in subjects with Bronchial Asthma. Method: Total of 79subjects selected, out of those 66 subjects were included after obtaining the consent document. Subjects are divided into two groups by lottery method, in which 6 subjects dropped. So, the study was completed with 60 subjects. Both groups performed intervention for 1 hour a day 5 days week for 4 weeks. The outcomes of the study were FEV1, FVC & FEV1/FVC ratio. Results: Paired t test was used to assess statically significance between pre and post test scores with in the groups, independent t test was used to access statistical significance of post-test mean score between the groups, statistical analysis of the data revealed that Buteyko Breathing technique group has more difference when compare to Pranayama group. Conclusion: The results had shown that both Group-A (Buteyko Breathing Group) and Group-B (Pranayama Group) has improved significantly on pre and post-test values within the groups but when compared between the groups statistical significance is noted in Group-A. So, this study concludes that Group-A showed significant improvement on Pulmonary Function in subjects with Bronchial Asthma. Keywords: Buteyko Breathing technique, Nadishuddhi Pranayama, FEV1/FVC, Bronchial Asthma.