title: Physiotherapy in asthma using the new Lotorp method.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Physiotherapy in bronchial asthma has given various results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test a new method focusing on breathing exercise and massage of the thoracic muscles.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight adult patients with a physician-diagnosed asthma were studied during 6 weeks. All patients were prescribed asthma medication. The new method [active group, n = 17) was compared with physical training (control group, n = 12).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PEF was significantly improved (p = 0.001) in the active group, however, FEV1 showed no significant change. The symptoms "tightness of the chest", "difficult breathing in", "air hunger", and the individually dominating symptom (p = 0.001) were significantly reduced in the active group. Exercise-induced breathing troubles and chest expansion were also significantly reduced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Physiotherapy including breathing exercise and massage of the thoracic muscles (the Lotorp method) in patients with physician-diagnosed asthma resulted in significantly reduced respiratory symptoms during rest and exercise and increased chest expansion. The improvements may be due to an increased mobility of the chest and diaphragm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Sahlgenska Academy, University of Göteborg, Sweden. Electronic address: olle.lowhagen@gu.se.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Löwhagen
authors.affiliation: Bergqvist Massage Clinic, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bergqvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D001945:Breathing Exercises / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Asthma; Asthma symptoms; Dysfunctional breathing; Lung function test; Physiotherapy