• breathing exercises
• asthma
• complementary

It was a pleasure to read a report of a well conducted trial into a complementary treatment for asthma.¹ This is a subject which attracts considerable media attention. The authors of this report and the author of an accompanying ² both introduce their articles with a reference to “a third of respondents in a recent asthma survey having tried one or more breathing techniques to relieve symptoms”.³ While their quote is correct, the report to which they refer is of a survey of members of the UK National Asthma Campaign. Such a membership may not be typical of those with asthma. In a more recent study of a stratified cross section of the asthma population we found only 6% of the study population to be current users of complementary therapies. That use was greatest among those who expressed most concern regarding their current medication.⁴