Transcendental meditation and asthma

Area of Science:

• Respiratory Medicine
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background:

• Bronchial asthma is a chronic respiratory condition requiring effective management strategies.
• Exploring non-pharmacological interventions is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential benefits of transcendental meditation (TM) as an adjunctive therapy for bronchial asthma.
• To assess TM's impact on asthma symptoms, medication use, and physiological markers.

Main Methods:

• A 6-month randomized crossover study involving 21 asthma patients.
• Daily symptom and medication diaries, questionnaires, physician evaluations, pulmonary function tests, and galvanic skin resistance measurements were utilized.

Main Results:

• Patients utilizing transcendental meditation reported positive outcomes.
• The study indicated TM as a potentially effective complementary treatment for asthma management.

Conclusions:

• Transcendental meditation shows promise as a valuable addition to conventional asthma treatment.
• Further research may explore TM's long-term effects and mechanisms in asthma care.