<p>Have just completed the 2nd day of a 4-day course on this technique. It’s interesting and was stated in Russia about 60 years ago. It seems to have developed a following there, in Europe and elsewhere. There are only 40 practitioners currently in the US.</p>
<p>It is supposed to be helpful for asthma & sleep apnea. It MAY also help with emphysema & COPD, according to this instructor, but I’m not so sure. Just wondering if anyone has heard anything or any experiences with this breathing technique & exercises. I find it intriguing.</p>
<p>Oh great topic, HImom. I’d be very interested to hear more about what you are learning. I’ve seen reference to this breathing technique in Yoga literature. In yoga we practice conscious, intentional breath. Since in Buteyko you are paying close attention to one particular type of breath it’s like a form of yogic breathing in a way. (In yoga there are various types of breathing to practice.) </p>
<p>I was with a youngster having a bad asthma attack and as all the teachers scurried around to find a garbage pail because he usually threw up from the effort, I sat with the flat of my hand on his back and advised him to slow the breathing, lengthen the exhale. His asthma attack ended and no pail needed. One interesting experience. I sent a write up of the technique to a mom I know and she took it badly, was insulted (how dare you). Shrug.</p>
<p>My husband is using a machine called Respirate (google it) to learn to slow and deepen the breath to help control high blood pressure. He’s having very good luck with it. The thing is backed by quite few doctors.</p>
<p>Conscious control of deep breathing=very healthy practice.</p>
<p>Oh, I’ve read about this. My BP was starting to creep up (and freaking me out since I’ve always had very, very low BP) so I started researching ways to bring it down. People who used it said it worked but also said it was hard to do at first. My BP did go back down to a normal range after I started watching my salt and exercising regularly. I thought Respirate (or any form of slow breathing) seems liked a good idea in general though, not just for controlling BP.</p>
<p>When my son was diagnosed with asthma, I did some reading on this. The wikipedia article on it nicely summmarized what I found then, and what still seems to be the case: [Buteyko</a> method - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buteyko_method]Buteyko”>Buteyko method - Wikipedia)
In sum, the studies don’t show a significant clinical effect from this technique, but there is some evidence that some people report improvements in symptoms. My suspicion is that the benefit comes from consciously controlling breathing, and not from the specific methods and theories of Buteyko.</p>
<p>I have read an article- but I think the technique would freak me out.</p>
<p>I do think that breathing correctly would help though- I was thinking of having a few voice lessons with a coach who is supposed to be great- ( I am starting to have an old lady voice & I want to sound stronger) & it sounded like a side benefit would be better lung capacity. ( I have asthma- but mild)</p>
<p>One of my board members is pretty skeptical but doesn’t have 1st hand experience about the method. It is odd that they decide to put their links on our thread. I will wait & see whether my other docs respond. So far, I don’t see how it wil benefit me and actually may be HARMFUL because one of the problems with COPDers is high CO2 retention, which is BAD for them, despite what Buteyko says. Very interesting & thanks to thsoe who responded.</p>
<p>I am already able to hold my breath for a very long time, which surprised the instructor. I do not have need of nor use most of the breathing meds and am generally well and function extremely well. I can see how it COULD help people who breathe too rapidly and hyperventilate but I have never had that issue.</p>
<p>Is this different from the techniques above? I remember seeing something on TV about Russians treating asthma with the little light, soft superficial and quick breaths, and googled the technique. I have about 7 kids in my class with asthma, and they tend to start coughing and wheezing if they run around outside. The more they breathe deep and cough and fight for air, the worse it gets. When that happens now, I remind them to take shallow and quick, gentle breaths. AMAZINGLY, it almost always stops the coughing and wheezing. But that technique sounds different from that mentioned above…</p>
<p>There is no little light. The technique does emphasize trying to retrain yourself to go longer between breaths and take smaller breaths, saying the people OVERBREATHE. Somehow, I find the entire concept rather counter-intuitive and confusing, but an giving it a try since it seems interesting. Will let you know how it turns out.</p>
<p>Relaxation & meditation seems like a better approach to me, but I am intrigued by this. Glad you are able to get the kids to calm down and stop their asthma with bio-feedback you are training them in. Have never done shallow, quick, gentle breaths for asthma, but do diaphragmatic (belly) breathing, that seems to work very well.</p>
<p>But it does say “shallow breaths” I only read the article in the NY times: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03brod.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03brod.html</a>. Looks like I didn’t read it closely enough! but what I have them do makes sense. I tell them to take soft, shallow, little bird breathes. It’s those deep breaths that make the kids cough. (I get wheezy with allergies, and exercise induced asthma, and the little breaths seem to help me, too.)
I definitely got the speed part wrong - but I know the little, fast shallow breaths work for me, if I keep my air in the top part of my lungs. It keeps me from coughing and getting wheezier…</p>
<p>It’s interesting how different we all are. I don’t find the soft, shallow, little bird breaths very helpful or comforting for me, but am glad they work for you and your kids at school. I have never been much into the gasping rapid breaths anyway. The slower, deeper belly breathing instead of the quick light “chest” breathing is what works for me and the other asthmatics I know well. I guess there are many different approaches for different folks. The respiratory therapists I know tend to coach the belly breathing as well, in addition to pursed lip breathing (having your lips pursed like blowing out a candle or whistling).</p>
<p>I do not see anything creepy about diaphragm breathing, which is what this technique seems to be about. Instead of overworking the chest muscles to draw the air into the lungs, this method uses the belly/diaphargm to fill the lungs slowly.</p>
<p>No, the technique does a lot of things to try to increase the CO2 levels in your body. For folks with some health conditions, retaining CO2 is a huge problem, including emphysema, COPD, and chronic bronchitis. The technique claims that raising CO2 for these people is good, even tho conventional western medicine says elevated CO2 levels is very BAD for these people.</p>
<p>Diaphragmatic breathing is a well-recognized concept that is taught by respiratory therapists & others. It does help move air more efficiently and helps keep folks with lung disease get more air in & out. It’s the idea of holding the breath and trying to increase CO2 levels that is troubling. I plan to ask more about it tonight & tomorrow. One of my lung specialists has also raised serous concern about this.</p>
<p>I do not see anything creepy about diaphragm breathing, which is what this technique seems to be about. Instead of overworking the chest muscles to draw the air into the lungs, this method uses the belly/diaphargm to fill the lungs slowly.</p>
<p>Sorry, EK, I misread your post. At one point we had a thread about Lasik which attracted a lot of Lasik-related spam, which does not mean that Lasik is a questionnable method, it only means that there are questionnable practitioners of this method.
One of our kids was diagnosed with VCD, and the treatment was a series of breathing exercises which consisted of a mix of diaphragmal breathing and breathing control techinques. The speech terapist mentioned that some of that was adopted from the original Buteyko method. And no, there was no blue lights of any kind or mouth taping :eek:</p>
<p>Paul Sorvino, the actor, claims to have been cured from severe chronic asthma by a technique related to yoga. It features diaphragmal and pursed lip breathing.</p>
<p>He has a book called “How to Be a Former Asthmatic.” My son, who used to be troubled by asthma, found the technique moderately useful, but he never worked very hard at it.</p>
<p>When I have nasty little coughing fits caused by environmental allergy triggers, the technique works very well for me.</p>
<p>The techniques you mention are mainstays of traditional techniques used by respiratory therapists. Glad they are making their way to the public through various means and that you & your S have found them somewhat helpful.</p>
<p>It was the mouth taping that freaked me out. I don’t normally have a stuffy nose, but I am sure my mouth falls open sometimes-
I can’t even stand to wear a nightguard for my teeth at night. ( my D’s retainer used to end up across the room!)</p>
<p>I just realize that I used to have to wear ( well I was supposed to), two separate headgears when I had extensive orthodontia. I bet I have muscle memory of that- it was painful.</p>
but what I have them do makes sense. I tell them to take soft, shallow, little bird breathes. It’s those deep breaths that make the kids cough. (I get wheezy with allergies, and exercise induced asthma, and the little breaths seem to help me, too.)
I bet I have muscle memory of that- it was painful.</p>