Efficacy of Papworth Method to Improve Quality of Life and Exercise Tolerance in Asthma

One of the chronic inflammatory diseases is asthma, which manifests symptoms like breathlessness, coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness also, commonly at night or in the early morning. Papworth method is easy and safe intervention for asthma control as it is also an adjuvant to medical care. Papworth method reduces these asthma symptoms, improves dysfunctional breathing arising from hypocapnia, and will help in improving quality of life and exercise tolerance. Objective: (1) To determine efficacy of Papworth method to improve quality of life and exercise tolerance in asthma subjects. (2) To study efficacy of Papworth method on quality of life in asthma. (3) To study efficacy of Papworth method on exercise tolerance in asthma. Method: 70 asthma subjects were included and separated into two groups. First group that is group A (n = 35) with usual medical care, and group B (n = 35) intervened for Papworth method protocol. The pre-assessment is measured by 6MWT for exercise tolerance and asthma-related quality of questionnaire (AQLQ) for the quality of life, and after 6 months of intervention period, assessment is taken with the same outcome measures. Result: After three months of intervention, there was slight upgradation in AQLQ scores from baseline in group B, but after 6 months of intervention, there was a significant improvement in intervention group advocating Papworth method (0.50 units, 95% CI 0.16–0.84). About 6MWT increased (59 ± 32 m, p < 0.01) in the intervention group following 6 months of intervention with Papworth method. The proportion of change in 6MWT between groups was significant (121 ± 54 m, p < 0.01) though the control group did not change. Conclusion: Improve the quality of life and exercise tolerance in mild to moderate asthma by using the Papworth technique as an adjunctive beneficial treatment.