Carol's picks:
Cooper S, Oborne J, Newton S, Harrison V, Thompson Coon J, Lewis S, Tattersfield A. Effect of two breathing exercises (Buteyko and pranayama) in asthma: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2003 Aug;58(8):674-9. PMID: 12885982
and:
Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR. Yoga for bronchial asthma: a controlled study. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985 Oct 19;291(6502):1077-9. PMID: 3931802
Fifty three patients with asthma underwent training for two weeks in an integrated set of yoga exercises, including breathing exercises, suryanamaskar, yogasana (physical postures), pranayama (breath slowing techniques), dhyana (meditation), and a devotional session, and were told to practise these exercises for 65 minutes daily. They were then compared with a control group of 53 patients with asthma matched for age, sex, and type and severity of asthma, who continued to take their usual drugs. There was a significantly greater improvement in the group who practised yoga in the weekly number of attacks of asthma, scores for drug treatment, and peak flow rate. This study shows the efficacy of yoga in the long term management of bronchial asthma, but the physiological basis for this beneficial effect needs to be examined in more detail.
PMID: 3931802 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Other research links:
Behera D. Yoga therapy in chronic bronchitis. J Assoc Physicians India. 1998 Feb;46(2):207-8. PMID: 11273114

Bielory L, Russin J, Zuckerman GB. Clinical efficacy, mechanisms of action, and adverse effects of complementary and alternative medicine therapies for asthma. Allergy Asthma Proc. 2004 Sep-Oct;25(5):283-91. PMID: 15603200

Blazek-O'Neill B. Complementary and alternative medicine in allergy, otitis media, and asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2005 Jul;5(4):313-8. PMID: 15967074

Coll R, Tello A. Yoga in bronchial asthma. Arch Bronconeumol. 1994 Aug-Sep;30(7):369. PMID: 7952843

Cooper S, Oborne J, Newton S, Harrison V, Thompson Coon J, Lewis S, Tattersfield A. Effect of two breathing exercises (Buteyko and pranayama) in asthma: a randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2003 Aug;58(8):674-9. PMID: 12885982

Fluge T, Richter J, Fabel H, Zysno E, Weller E, Wagner TO. Long-term effects of breathing exercises and yoga in patients with bronchial asthma. Pneumologie. 1994 Jul;48(7):484-90. PMID: 7937658

Goyeche JR, Abo Y, Ikemi Y. Asthma: the yoga perspective. Part II: Yoga therapy in the treatment of asthma. J Asthma. 1982;19(3):189-201. PMID: 7118825

Goyeche JR, Ago Y, Ikemi Y. Asthma: The yoga perspective. Part I. The somatopsychic imbalance in asthma: towards a holistic therapy. J Asthma Res. 1980 Apr;17(3):111-21. PMID: 7251550

Jain SC, Talukdar B. Evaluation of yoga therapy programme for patients of bronchial asthma. Singapore Med J. 1993 Aug;34(4):306-8. PMID: 8266199

Jain SC, Rai L, Valecha A, Jha UK, Bhatnagar SO, Ram K. Effect of yoga training on exercise tolerance in adolescents with childhood asthma. J Asthma. 1991;28(6):437-42. PMID: 1744029

Khanam AA, Sachdeva U, Guleria R, Deepak KK. Study of pulmonary and autonomic functions of asthma patients after yoga training. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1996 Oct;40(4):318-24. PMID: 9055100

Krusche F.Yoga respiratory therapy helps children with asthma. Fortschr Med. 1999 Feb 20;117(5):44. PMID: 10095314

Lane DJ, Lane TV. Alternative and complementary medicine for asthma. Thorax. 1991 Nov;46(11):787-97. PMID: 1771600

Lehrer P, Feldman J, Giardino N, Song HS, Schmaling K. Psychological aspects of asthma. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002 Jun;70(3):691-711. PMID: 12090377

Maevskii AA. A complex of breathing exercises (hatha yoga) to arrest the developing attacks of dyspnea in bronchial asthma. Klin Med (Mosk). 1995;73(4):87-8. PMID: 7474837

Manocha R, Marks GB, Kenchington P, Peters D, Salome CM. Sahaja yoga in the management of moderate to severe asthma: a randomised controlled trial.
Thorax. 2002 Feb;57(2):110-5. PMID: 11828038

McIver S, O'Halloran P, McGartland M. The impact of Hatha yoga on smoking behavior. Altern Ther Health Med. 2004 Mar-Apr;10(2):22-3. PMID: 15055089

Miller AL. The etiologies, pathophysiology, and alternative/complementary treatment of asthma. Altern Med Rev. 2001 Feb;6(1):20-47. PMID: 11207455

Nagendra HR, Nagarathna R. An integrated approach of yoga therapy for bronchial asthma: a 3-54-month prospective study. J Asthma. 1986;23(3):123-37. PMID: 3745111

Nagarathna R, Nagendra HR. Yoga for bronchial asthma: a controlled study. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1985 Oct 19;291(6502):1077-9. PMID: 3931802

Ram FS, Holloway EA, Jones PW. Breathing retraining for asthma. Respir Med. 2003 May;97(5):501-7. PMID: 12735667

Sabina AB, Williams AL, Wall HK, Bansal S, Chupp G, Katz DL. Yoga intervention for adults with mild-to-moderate asthma: a pilot study. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2005 May;94(5):543-8. PMID: 15945557

Sathyaprabha TN, Murthy H, Murthy BT. Efficacy of naturopathy and yoga in bronchial asthma--a self controlled matched scientific study. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2001 Jan;45(1):80-6. PMID: 11211575

Singh V, Wisniewski A, Britton J, Tattersfield A. Effect of yoga breathing exercises (pranayama) on airway reactivity in subjects with asthma. Lancet. 1990 Jun 9;335(8702):1381-3. PMID: 1971670

Singh V. Kunjal: a nonspecific protective factor in management of bronchial asthma. J Asthma. 1987;24(3):183-6. PMID: 3505533

Vedanthan PK, Kesavalu LN, Murthy KC, Duvall K, Hall MJ, Baker S, Nagarathna S. Clinical study of yoga techniques in university students with asthma: a controlled study. Allergy Asthma Proc. 1998 Jan-Feb;19(1):3-9. PMID: 9532318