Asthma is gone with the wind

Aug 21 2008 by Neil Mckay, The Journal

MEMBERS of a junior brass band are hoping to strike the right note and find a cure for asthma at the same time.

Next month young musicians who suffer from the breathing illness will be guinea pigs in an experiment called Bronchial Boogie, to discover whether blowing their own trumpet can ease their condition.

For a half-hour each week over a 10-week period brass tutor Norman Walker will put six children from Roseberry Primary School at Pelton, Chester-le-Street, County Durham, through their paces.

Before and after each session their breathing will be checked by an asthma nurse. Mr Walker, 66, a retired Durham County Council librarian who formed West Pelton and District Community Brass Band at the start of the year, said he had read about a similar experiment in Lancashire several years ago where playing in a brass band was credited with improving the breathing of asthma sufferers.

“The experiment is worth trying and could save the NHS an awful lot of money as well as easing the suffering of young asthma patients.

“If it is judged a success at Roseberry Primary, then bronchial boogie could spread to schools across County Durham, and hopefully further afield,” he said.

The scheme has the backing of North Durham MP Kevan Jones, who was yesterday appointed president of the brass band.

He said: “In little over a year, the West Pelton and District Community Brass Band has gone from strength to strength and I’d like to pay tribute to Norman Walker and everyone else involved.

“If playing brass instruments does indeed help children suffering from asthma, then Norman is providing an even greater service to the community.” Already nine-year-old Ryan Harrison, who plays the euphonium in West Pelton and District Community Brass Band, believes playing the instrument has cured his asthma.

Ryan started playing at the start of the year and within a couple of weeks he overcame his breathlessness.

His mother Marie Johnson, 32, of Tennyson Road, Pelton Fell, said: “Ryan started playing at the beginning of the year and within a couple of weeks his breathlessness completely stopped. Since then he has had no wheezing at all.

“I’ve heard of wind instruments helping children with asthma and I think it has helped him manage his breathing and strengthened the muscles in his diaphragm.

“He still has sinus problems and sounds bunged up, but the wheezing has stopped.”

Amy Gallagher, 10, who also suffers from asthma, joined the band yesterday for the first time and hopes that playing the tenor horn will stop her wheezing.

Asthma UK said there was increasing evidence to suggest playing wind instruments helped sufferers manage their condition, as wind musicians control their breathing well.

The charity’s assistant director of research Leanne Male said: “There has been very little scientific research funded on the benefits of wind and brass instruments to people with asthma in the UK.

“However, there seems to be increasing amounts of anecdotal evidence which suggests it does help some people with asthma to better manage their condition.”