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Cited by 42Asthma and respiratory diseasesRespiratory and Cough-Related ResearchChronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research

Breathing training for dysfunctional breathing in asthma: taking a multidimensional approach

Open access
Courtney, Rosalba·2017·ERJ Open Research
DOI 10.1183/23120541.00065-2017PMC PMC5721258
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Abstract

Various breathing training programmes may be helpful for adults with asthma. The main therapeutic aim for many of these programmes is the correction of dysfunctional breathing. Dysfunctional breathing can be viewed practically as a multidimensional entity with the three key dimensions being biochemical, biomechanical and psychophysiological. The objectives of this review are to explore how each of these dimensions might impact on asthma sufferers, to review how various breathing therapy protocols target these dimensions and to determine if there is evidence suggesting how breathing therapy protocols might be optimised. Databases and reference lists of articles were searched for peer-reviewed English language studies that discussed asthma or dysfunctional breathing and various breathing therapies. Biochemical, biomechanical and psychophysiological aspects of dysfunctional breathing can all potentially impact on asthma symptoms and breathing control. There is significant variation in breathing training protocols and the extent to which they evaluate and improve function in these three dimensions. The various dimensions of dysfunctional breathing may be of greater or lesser importance in different cases and the effectiveness of breathing training protocols is likely to be improved when all three dimensions are considered. Outcomes for breathing training for dysfunctional breathing in asthma may be most successful when the three key dimensions of dysfunctional breathing are evaluated at the start of treatment and monitored during treatment. This allows breathing training protocols to be adjusted as appropriate to ensure that treatment is sufficiently comprehensive and intensive to produce measurable improvements where necessary.

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  • The absence of a universally accepted definition, gold-standard diagnostic criteria, or standardized assessment tools creates a significant challenge in establishing a consensus on the optimal assessment method.

    “The absence of a universally accepted definition, gold-standard diagnostic criteria, or standardized assessment tools creates a significant challenge in establishing a consensus on the optimal assessment method (9,10).”

    From How is dysfunctional breathing characterised in the clinical literature? A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

    The Introduction sections on definitions and assessment say there is no consensus on the definition of dysfunctional breathing or its assessment. The section on dysfunctional breathing in asthma describes several identification methods and says all have limitations. However, the paper does not explicitly establish an absence of gold-standard diagnostic criteria or attribute the lack of assessment consensus to all three factors named in the claim; it instead points to the condition’s multidimensional nature and insufficient research. No page numbers are available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

  • DB is described in the literature as a multi-dimensional construct consisting of at least 3 dimensions: biomechanical, psychophysiological and biochemical.

    “Multiple factors are reported to contribute to DB, with it being described in the literature as a multi-dimensional construct consisting of at least 3 dimensions; biomechanical, psychophysiological and biochemical (3,9).”

    From How is dysfunctional breathing characterised in the clinical literature? A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

  • DB is often ill-defined, with considerable ambiguity surrounding its definition, diagnosis and optimal management.

    “This has also led to DB being often ill-defined, with considerable ambiguity surrounding its definition, diagnosis and optimal management (9,10).”

    From How is dysfunctional breathing characterised in the clinical literature? A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

  • There is an absence of a universally accepted diagnostic instrument for assessment of DB.

    “A further consequence of this lack of consensus is the absence of a universally accepted diagnostic instrument for assessment (9,10).”

    From How is dysfunctional breathing characterised in the clinical literature? A scoping review (2026) · cites this paper as [9]

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Research works printed but not linked: 57

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Authors
Courtney, R.
Affiliations
Southern Cross University (AU)
Corresponding author
Courtney, Rosalba
ORCID
Courtney, Rosalba
Venue
ERJ Open Research
Publisher
European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Published
2017-10
Volume
3
Issue
4
Pages
00065-2017
ISSN
2312-0541 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1183/23120541.00065-2017
PMC
PMC5721258
OpenAlex
W2771545256
Cited by
42
References
15
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2
FWCI
0.17
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc
Locations
  • ERJ Open Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Cross Connect (Southern Cross University) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Respiratory and Cough-Related Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
Keywords
asthma, dysfunctional breathing, breathing exercises, breathing therapy, respiratory control, treatment monitoring

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