Breathing Exercises and/or Retraining Techniques in the Treatment of Asthma: Comparative Effectiveness Executive Summary

The goal of asthma treatment is to achieve asthma control, as evidenced by normal or near normal pulmonary function, maintenance of normal activity levels, and minimal need for short-acting beta2-agonist inhalers for “quick relief” of asthma symptoms (≤ twice per week).4 Persistent asthma treatment includes the use of long-term control medications (most commonly inhaled corticosteroids [ICS]) to reduce airway inflammation and quick-relief medications for acute exacerbations.