Effect of repeated Waon therapy on exercise tolerance and pulmonary function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot controlled clinical trial.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Non-randomized prospective controlled clinical trial
PubMed 24363555 · doi:10.2147/COPD.S50860
What was done
Twenty consecutive patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD, GOLD stages 1-4) were assigned to either a Waon therapy group or a control group in a prospective pilot controlled trial. The Waon group received conventional therapy (medications including long-acting inhaled β2 agonists, long-acting anticholinergics, xanthine derivatives, and pulmonary rehabilitation) plus repeated Waon therapy (sitting in a 60°C sauna room for 15 minutes followed by 30 minutes warmed with blankets, once daily, 5 days per week, for 20 sessions total over 4 weeks). The control group received conventional therapy alone. Pulmonary function and 6-minute walk test parameters were assessed before and 4 weeks after the program.
What was found
The change in vital capacity was 0.30 ± 0.4 L in the Waon group versus 0.02 ± 0.21 L in the control group (P = 0.077). The change in peak expiratory flow was 0.48 ± 0.79 L/s in the Waon group versus -0.11 ± 0.72 L/s in the control group (P = 0.095). The change in forced expiratory flow at 50% of expired forced vital capacity (FEF50) was significantly larger in the Waon group (median 0.08, 25th-75th percentile 0.01-0.212 L/s) than in the control group (-0.01, -0.075-0.04 L/s; P = 0.019). No significant differences were observed between groups for any change in 6-minute walk test parameters.
Why it matters
This pilot trial provides preliminary evidence that thermal therapy might modestly improve small airway airflow in COPD patients, though it did not translate to improvements in functional exercise capacity.
Limits
Small sample size (n = 20), non-randomized allocation, unblinded design without sham control, and lack of long-term follow-up. Most primary physiological and functional parameters, including the 6-minute walk test, vital capacity, and peak expiratory flow, showed no statistically significant differences between groups.
Cited by
- supports Waon therapy using far-infrared dry saunas has been shown to improve lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).