| <Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us> | ||
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For the countless asthma sufferers worldwide what are the options to treat this chronic illness? |
| The Buteyko Clinic Practitioner’s article has been published in August issue of Minnesota Health Care News magazine. | ||
Asthma. Take a shallow breath. |
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| Asthma ( `az-muh) n: a chronic respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing; triggered by hyperreactivity to various stimuli.
More than 16 million adults and 7 million children in the U.S. have asthma, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s three times the total reported just 25 years ago and almost one in 10 children. Asthma, a chronic inflammatory airway disease, is among the top 10 emergency department diagnoses for children in the Twin Cities, according to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH). Further, one in 10 Minnesota adults report that they have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives. Despite advances in conventional and alternative health care, asthma remains a puzzling disorder. It ranges widely in severity from very mild to life-threatening, can manifest suddenly at any age, go into short or long remission, and come back unexpectedly. Extensive research adds little to the understanding of the causes of asthma or why it is thriving among the developed countries’ population. Bronchodilators, corticosteroids The cornerstone principle of conventional treatment of asthma is to relieve symptoms with bronchodilators and prevent asthma aggravations with corticosteroids. Bronchodilators chemically force constricted airways open for a certain amount of time, while steroids suppress the immune response and fight inflammation. But those powerful remedies come with side effects, and using them daily for years is walking a thin line between benefits and risks. Corticosteroid drugs, especially oral, can cause irreversible immune system damage with prolonged use. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning in February cautioning that long-acting bronchodilators have the potential to exacerbate asthma by masking inflammation, resulting in an increased risk of hospitalization and death. A recent nationwide survey of 2,500 asthma patients 12 and older found that, despite better medications and the increased availability of asthma education, there has been little decline in hospitalizations or ER visits for asthma over the last 10 years and little meaningful improvement in key markers of asthma control – hospitalizations, emergency room visits, unscheduled health care visits, and missed school or work days. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) While a number of non-drug CAM techniques and remedies are suggested to relieve asthma, it can be overwhelming to explore all CAM choices as they usually lack clinical trials and systemized data to reach a solid conclusion as to their effectiveness. But with a cautious approach and choosing therapies whose value has been documented, complementary techniques can prove invaluable for managing asthma. The essential difference between complementary and alternative medicine is that complementary methods are used in addition to conventional treatment, while alternative methods are used instead of established medical practice. Therefore, the first rule of safety is to choose complementary, rather than alternative, methods. Of all non-drug asthma treatments, breathing techniques have been studied at greater depth and show more evidence of effectiveness. The Buteyko Method The Buteyko Method, named by its creator, Russian Professor of Medicine K.P. Buteyko, is based on the notion that asthma originates from the commonly overlooked problem of chronic hyperventilation (breathing at an excessive depth and rate, which leads to an abnormal loss of carbon dioxide from the blood). By correcting a faulty breathing pattern, the theory holds, a patient can significantly reduce or eliminate asthma symptoms. Unlike other breathing techniques, the Buteyko Method is not just a series of breathing exercises but a comprehensive wellness program aimed at correcting dysfunctional breathing and encouraging healthier lifestyle through stress reduction, nutrition, and exercise. Buteyko therapy is completely safe when taught by a qualified practitioner, and program attendees are required to continue taking their medication as prescribed unless their doctor has approved stopping it. The Buteyko Method has been studied extensively in eight clinical trials. All have shown it to be effective. One of the trials, in Brisbane, Australia, showed impressive results of 71 percent fewer symptoms, 90 percent reduction in reliever medication use, and 49 percent reduction in use of steroid preventers after three months. In 2008 the British Thoracic Society in its “British Guideline on the Management of Asthma”, recommended the Buteyko Method to help patients control the symptoms of asthma and reduce bronchodilator use. It is the only complementary therapy endorsed by this body for the treatment of asthma. … read full text of the article here |
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Posts Tagged ‘Buteyko Method’
Natural asthma treatments revised
Friday, August 13th, 2010Journaling your Buteyko practice
Friday, July 30th, 2010<Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us >
We like the analogy of the Buteyko therapy to physical or rehabilitation therapy. Buteyko therapy is a rehabilitation therapy for your breathing that you apply to yourself. You do this patiently, day-by-day, effort-by-effort. It is often frustrating to not experience prominent results right away. CP is fluctuating, symptoms come and go, some symptoms might decrease, while new ones may appear. Dozens of lifestyle, environmental and behavioral factors will influence your CP. It can be confusing, to say the least.
If you are practicing the Buteyko Method, you are probably asking yourself these questions: Am I making adequate progress? What are specific factors that influence my CP most? Why am I stuck? Am I doing my Buteyko exercise routine correctly? Is my physical exercise routine beneficial or is it causing more stress?
Journaling your Buteyko experience might prove extremely helpful in answering those questions.
Take a look at the sample journal below.
Date |
Time |
Pulse |
CP |
MP |
Steps |
Comment |
Symptoms |
| 05/09 | 3 pm | 70 | 22 | Midday | Some cough | ||
| 05/09 | 11:00 pm | 68-66 | 25/30 | Before bed, CP and pulse before and after Buteyko exercises | |||
| 05/10 | 7 am | 72 | 25 | Upon wake up; had good night sleep | |||
| 05/10 | 10:15 am | 84 | 15 | After breakfast / coffee | Mild chest tightness | ||
| 05/10 | 10 pm | 70 | 20/25 | Before bed, CP before and after Buteyko exercises | |||
| 05/11 | 7 am | 68 | 20 | 55-70 | Upon wake up | Mild chest tightness, mucus | |
| 05/11 | 10:30 am | 76 | 18 | After breakfast | |||
| 05/11 | 3:30 pm | 74 | 25 | Midday, half hour after walk | |||
| 05/11 | 4:30 pm | 66 | 35 | 55 | Midday | Feel good! | |
| 05/12 | 7 am | 66 | 25 | Upon wake up | Not as much mucus today | ||
| 05/12 | 9 am | 68 | 23 | Before breakfast | |||
| 05/12 | 10:30 am | 78 | 17 | 32 | After breakfast / coffee | ||
| 05/12 | 12:30 am | 68 | 28 | 20 min after 1 h walk | |||
| 05/12 | 11:30 pm | 64 | 30 | 50 | Before bed | ||
| 05/13 | 8 am | 66 | 22 | 41 | 72-84 | Upon wake up | Some sneezing and partially blocked nose, felt much better after steps |
| 05/13 | 10:30 am | 66 | 20 | After breakfast and coffee. My “after breakfast” CP is going up! | |||
| 05/13 | 3:30 | 68/90/70 | 20/25 | Long stair walk with nasal breathing. Difficult. CP before and half hour after | Some mild chest tightness and mucus still present | ||
| 05/24 | 7am | 25 | 84 | Upon wake up | Chest tightness is gone, but some mornings have a partially blocked nose. | ||
| 05/24 | 2:30 pm | 70 | 18 | 32 | Midday, half hour after meal | ||
| 05/24 | 4 pm | 30 | Midday, empty stomach | ||||
| 05/24 | 11 pm | 70/58 | 28/35 | Before bed, CP/pulse before and after Buteyko exercises. First time reached 35! | Overall feel much better than last week |
You can get as detailed as you’d like with the description of symptoms, routines, additional measures (e.g. taping mouth at night etc), and even your meal content. Adjust the chart according to your condition, routines and measurements that you usually do (e.g. some people are not recommended to do steps or MPs, even as measurement). Add medications and their daily dosage to the chart, if you take any.
Once you see all your efforts and results in plain view like this, it will make it so much easier for you to find what is working best for you or to identify possible sources for your lack of progress.
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Buteyko for anxiety (part 2)
Friday, July 23rd, 2010| <Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us> | ||
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In this two-part article we are introducing Patrick McKeown’s new book Anxiety free: stop worrying and quieten your mind. Two hundred and forty pages of beautifully written and illustrated self help book is a must-read for everybody! Below we randomly selected a few chapters for you. The Anxiety free e-book is available for purchase on our website. | |
| What is the fat file syndrome?
According to the famous physiologist Walter Cannon, stress activates the fight or flight response. Meeting deadlines, financial pressures, time urgency, marital issues, the pressure of rearing children and wanting to do well in our work, as well as many other factors, add to stress levels. How to correct it Only by bringing your breathing volume to normal levels can you deal with the physiological aspects of stress and anxiety. Therefore, even when the initial stress is removed, the heavy breathing habit is maintained as a result of chemoreceptors in the brain being reset. An anxious person may attend many psychotherapists, counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists in an effort to get to the root of his or her condition. However, unless chronic overbreathing is addressed, he or she will be at a significant disadvantage in making progress. Taking ownership of the mind No matter how many times a day I look, there is a newness, a freshness and an aliveness. I am not looking at the countryside through thoughts, through labels, through names. I get so much more when I truly look. Nature is constantly changing, dying and renewing. Therefore, each time I look without the filter of my mind, the landscape has changed from before. A river that flows is not the same river five minutes later. Nor is it the same river five minutes before. The water is different. One pheasant is not the same as the next. Humans might attach the same label by calling it a pheasant, but each is unique, beautiful and individual. The essence of nature is not understood through thought. Truly appreciating nature does not come through the amount of information or the names you attach to different flowers, birds or animals. You are not going into nature to exercise your mind. Instead, go into nature to give your mind a rest. Who cares about the name of the tree or the bird? Instead, just look at the tree or bird without thought and sense its aliveness. This is far more important than knowing a mere label. If you have great difficulty doing this and your mind continues to bombard you with thought, then take this process little by little. In addition to stilling your mind through nature, watch your breath and pay attention to your inner body. Feel your body from the inside. Be connected with it. Feel your body as you merge with the life around you. Life takes care of the flowers, grass, trees and birds. There is nothing wanting here. Nature is immersed in stillness and will help take you there, too. You have nothing to do but to stop thinking. Who is the real you? Stay present and connect directly with life instead of doing so through a collection of thoughts, experiences and events. Drop the thoughts. Set them aside not through force but through the realisation that thoughts are not who we are. If the mind is not us, then thoughts originating from the mind are not us. This is liberating. We understand thought to be just a thought and nothing more. We have the choice to follow it or not. We begin to see thought NOT as truth or something that we must adhere to and blindly follow. We understand thought as a collection of good and not so good influences that we have stored in our film. With this understanding, you see the film for what it is. The light of your true self can then shine without thought. Only then do you truly live in your natural state. Once you realise this, your life will positively change forever. If this is your first introduction to this concept, stick with it. This is not intellectual debate. This is about understanding your mind, which alone determines your happiness on earth. |
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Best Asthma Diet
Saturday, May 29th, 2010<Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us >
May 17, 2010 — People who have asthma should avoid heavy, high-fat meals because it can inflame their airways, a new study says. Such meals appear to inhibit relief provided by the common asthma medication Ventolin, generically known as albuterol, Australian researchers report.
They recruited 40 people with asthma as participants in the study. Some received a high-fat, high-calorie meal of fast food hamburgers and hash browns containing about 1,000 calories, 52% of which was fat; others ate a low-fat, low-calorie meal of reduced fat yogurt, containing about 200 calories and 13% fat.
The scientists collected sputum samples before patients ate and again four hours later after they had eaten, and analyzed the samples for inflammatory markers. People who had eaten the high-fat meal had reduced response to the bronchodilators, compared to people who had eaten fewer calories and less fat.
“This is the first study to show that a high-fat meal increases airway inflammation, so this is a very important finding,” says study author Leslie Wood, PhD, a research fellow at the University of Newcastle in Australia. “The high-fat meal impaired the asthmatic response to albuterol. In subjects who had consumed a high-fat meal, the post-albuterol improvement in lung function at three and four hours was suppressed.” (source: WebMD, Asthma Patients: Danger Lurks in Fatty Meals)
The nutrition aspect of asthma management is always discussed at our AsthmaCare workshops. Not surprisingly, what the recent study now finds was concluded over 50 years ago by professor Buteyko’s research.
Although the Buteyko Method is primarily a breathing retraining therapy, for quicker recovery and long-term success, every effort should be made to minimize factors that promote over-breathing. Poor diet is, indeed, one of those factors.
So what is the best diet for asthmatics?
According to Professor Buteyko, foods that increase one’s breathing most include animal protein, saturated fat, dairy, chocolate, excess caffeine and alcohol, and foods you are allergic to. Milk, shellfish, nuts and wheat are among the most common foods that cause allergies.
But the very first commandment of Buteyko nutrition is – Do not overeat. Excess food puts enormous burden on not only the digestive system, but on the whole body. Our digestive system’s struggle is reflected in increased breathing volume, which in turn would easily trigger asthma or allergy symptoms. Notice how your breathing rate goes up after consuming big fatty meals. Some people experience frequent sighs, yawns or inability to take a deep breath – common signs of distressed breathing. People with a low Control Pause should be especially careful not to overeat, to not eat 2-3 hours before bed and to make wiser food choices overall.
For healthy breathing, a ratio of 80% alkalizing -20% acidifying foods should be maintained. Alkalizing foods are mostly fresh fruit and vegetables, so eat plenty!
A bit of good news is that the higher your Control Pause, the more tolerant you will become to different food groups, even less healthy ones. With higher CP, digestion optimizes and food allergies ease, so an occasional indulgent dinner won’t have such profound affect on a person with an over 40 second CP as it would on a person with a very low CP. But, even better news is that a person with an over 40 second CP would typically naturally gravitate toward healthier, raw, vegetarian, unprocessed food choices.
To learn more about improving your asthma naturally and permanently, visit our website.
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Tips for good night sleep
Saturday, May 15th, 2010<Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us >
Roughly 60 million Americans are affected by chronic insomnia, and scientists disagree on the best ways to treat it.
There are plenty of tips and tricks written in popular media articles on how to ensure good night sleep. This one article we’ve found on Yahoo’s Shine recently included recommendations like Yawn, Breathe deeply and slowly until you can’t stand it anymore and have a glass of warm milk with Equal (aspartame). Well, yawning and big breathing on purpose will add to your hyperventilation, and so will a dairy product (milk) with the most harmful artificial sweetener (aspartame).
Practicing Buteyko and adhering to the Buteyko principals of good night sleep will help you to address this tough problem.
Cited in Normal Breathing: the key to vital health (by Artour Rakhimov), “breathing too much makes the human brain abnormally excited due to reduced CO2 concentrations. As a result, the brain gets literally out of control due to appearance of spontaneous and asynchronous (‘self-generated’) thoughts.”
A lower Control Pause reflecting larger breathing volume will result in many of the symptoms below
• Snoring
• Sleep apnea (holding your breath many times throughout the night)
• Disrupted sleep
• Sweating
• Racing mind
• Nightmares
• Needing to use the bathroom at about 5 am or 6 am
• Children wetting the bed during the night
• Fatigue first thing in morning
• Brain fog upon waking
• Dry mouth
• Upper or lower respiratory complaints
The higher the Control Pause, the fewer symptoms you’ll experience, but while you are working on increasing your Control Pause, ensuring that hyperventilation doesn’t occur during sleep is of major importance.
What can you do to reduce nighttime hyperventilation?
Don’t sleep on your back. Instead, sleep on your tummy or left hand side. Sleeping on your back is by far the worst position as there is no restriction to your breathing.
Ensure that your mouth is closed at night either by taping mouth or wearing a chin strap.
Do not eat anything two hours before bed as food increases breathing.
A cool bedroom is best (but not cold). Ensure your comforter or blanket is not excessively warm.
Elevate your head and chest, especially if you suffer from asthma
Reduce your breathing by relaxing for fifteen to twenty minutes before bed (The Buteyko Clinic 20 minute Relaxation/Reduced Breathing CD is a great help)
What might also help
Go to bed only when you feel really sleepy
If you are a moderate to severe asthmatic on steroid therapy, do not skip your bedtime dose. If you are gradually reducing your dose of steroid based preventative medication, always reduce the morning dose first
If you state of health permits, walk every day for at least one hour, preferably outside
If you state of health permits, ensure at least 2 hours of physical activity daily
Do not drink caffeinated drinks 3 hours before bed
Keep your bedroom simple. Eliminate overly heavy curtains, carpet, rugs, excessive accent pillows etc to reduce allergy triggers. For the same reason keep your pets away from your bedroom.
Do not keep a TV or other electronics in your bedroom
Insomnia might be connected to Calcium-Magnesium deficiency. Ensure you are getting enough, either through diet or supplements
If you suffer from anxiety and overactive mind, pick up a very helpful book by Patrick McKeown “Anxiety Free”
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Does Buteyko work for everyone? (continued)
Friday, April 23rd, 2010<Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us >
According to the Buteyko theory, normalization of breathing will positively affect every aspect of human health and will set the healing process in motion for a wide variety of diseases and pathologies in the body.
Studies of Russian doctors practicing the Buteyko method, as well as studies published in Western publications, reveal that over 150 health conditions are related to heavy breathing, or are possible only in conditions of hyperventilation. This is less than 1% of all health pathologies (about 30,000) currently known to the medical science. ‘I hear a whisper of indignation and joy: “So, are all diseases from deep breathing?” No, not all. Deep breathing causes one single disease: the disease of deep breathing. It causes a wide spectrum of pathologies. Why? It interrupts the metabolism of the substances – the foundation of life in all cells. These or other symptoms are manifested, and their strong expression is qualified as disease…’(Buteyko, 1977).
Where the Buteyko application has limitations
the fundamentals of the Buteyko theory do not claim an accurate and full description of the basic changes in the human body under the following processes and types of pathologies:
1. Infectious diseases.
2. Diseases caused by genetic disorders (but the presence of “genetic predisposition” does not limit the application of the Buteyko theory)
3. Serious forms of mental disorders
4. Trauma
5. Extreme states of body distress such as caused by narcotics, poisonings, burns, radiation, etc.
6. Person’s states on the verge of life and death (Resuscitation)
7. Normal ageing.
8. Brain injury, unconscious states.
9. Cancer.
10. The processes in human body directly caused by reproductive function
However, the application of the Buteyko theory and therapy in the listed areas often allows one to greatly increase the efficiency of the medical aid. ( Vladimir K. Buteyko and Marina M. Buteyko THE BUTEYKO THEORY ABOUT A KEY ROLE OF BREATHING FOR HUMAN HEALTH)
Clearing infections will ensure an adequate progress with the Buteyko Therapy
It is recommended to clear any existing bacterial, parasite or fungal infections prior to or together with starting a Buteyko treatment. Besides obvious and more serious bacterial infections, those include athlete’s foot, mouth, vaginal and intestinal candida, inflamed root canals, “dead” tonsils, intestinal worms etc.
Contraindications
Most of the contraindications are listed below, however, in some cases a very gentle therapy might be applied. People with following conditions should never apply Buteyko without consulting both their doctor and an experienced Buteyko Practitioner.
- Arterial aneurysm
- Hemorrhagic stroke
- Thrombosis
- Current cancer treatment
- Recent heart attack within 12 weeks
- Brain tumor
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- History of serious cardiac rhythm disorder (unless pacemaker fitted)
- Severe renal failure (includes dialysis)
- Uncontrolled hyperthyroidism
- Sickle cell disease
- Acute schizophrenia
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) with cor pulmonale
- Pregnancy (first trimester)
Cautions
For this group a very gentle Buteyko approach is recommended. People with following conditions are strongly advised to work with a Buteyko Practitioner rather than self help learning tools.
- Diabetes, especially insulin controlled
- Mild/controlled hypertension
- Thyroid disease
- Angina/previous heart attack
- Epilepsy
- Past history of schizophrenia
- Reduced kidney function
- Pregnancy (second and third trimester)
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Does Buteyko work for everyone?
Saturday, April 17th, 2010<Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us >
If you are actively searching for answers about how to overcome your chronic health condition and wondering if the Buteyko Method is the right therapy for you, you are probably searching for clues on the web and elsewhere to help you decide. Now, when there is more interest directed at the Buteyko therapy, bits and pieces of information are popping up on the web in every possible form. A variety of self-help kits, manuals and courses are being sold, therapy users are writing “Buteyko challenge” diaries, forum disputes are heating up, people are posting personal blog stories, and claims of miracle cures are made.
And of course, you are a person of practical mind, and you want to hear a bit more proof and support for those claims. Plus, your medical doctor has probably never heard about it or does not take breathing exercise therapy seriously. And the nearest Buteyko Practitioner might be a long air trip away. Also, you are not sure that what he or she will teach you is worth several hundred dollars.
I am a Buteyko Practitioner, and, of course, I am deeply inspired by the power of Buteyko, as it has been the answer to the majority of my health problems (and not only that, it completely changed the way I approach my health problems). Going through my own Buteyko journey I, however, had my fair share of mistakes and disappointments. Now my own experience, combined with the experience of teaching other people the Buteyko Method, allows me to better understand what the Buteyko Method is and what it is not.
If you are unsure if Buteyko is worth a try, I realize your dilemma, as I’ve been in your shoes. To help you gain a better understanding of what will ensure your success with Buteyko, I suggest you consider the following:
- Buteyko is radically different
If you think in terms of conventional medicine, where there are symptoms that you’d need to exhibit in order to go away with a quick fix solution, you might be disappointed. With Buteyko, a commitment to discipline, to taking responsibility, to be willing to learn and to stick with the routine is required. Buteyko is not just a series of breathing exercises (as commonly thought). It is a therapy aimed at the reversal of one disease – Chronic Hyperventilation, or as Professor Buteyko called it – the Disease of Deep Breathing. It is about correcting your breathing to achieve maximum health benefits. In the process, many of your symptoms and ailments will start to disappear, because “…Normalization of breathing immediately triggers a healing process…” (K.P. Buteyko)
Within Buteyko , the majority of terms, assumptions and approaches of conventional medicine don’t apply, and it might be a struggle for people who used to be “passive receivers of health fixes” a.k.a. medications, devices, supplements, manual therapy sessions, etc.
- Immediate relief of symptoms is common with respiratory conditions
If you suffer from one of the common respiratory conditions such as asthma, rhinitis, snoring, sleep apnea, etc., your symptoms might improve dramatically within just a few weeks of recommended practice. If you are an asthmatic of any severity, you will definitely be amazed at how Buteyko controls your symptoms and allows a better quality of life (after being told for years that asthma is incurable and the only way to relieve symptoms is through medication). However, the achievement of a long term remission of the disease would require more time, effort and lifestyle changes.
- With other chronic conditions, results are not as quick or immediately visible
A reversal of a wide variety of other chronic conditions, including skin, circulatory, neurological and others, typically takes more time, effort, perseverance and lifestyle adjustments. However, there are amazing accounts of dramatic health improvements for those who persist with the therapy.
- Buteyko is a very individual journey
There are no two patients who are alike. We all have a very individual genetic, environmental, health and emotional history. Buteyko is rooted in physiology while being in tune with holistic philosophies – the normalization of breathing affects both body and mind, and both healing processes are interconnected. Within the Buteyko therapy, a Practitioner is a guide and advisor, but a patient takes center stage as a healer. As with any fundamental shift in body functions, temporary setbacks, unpleasant symptoms and cleansing episodes could be a part of the healing process. Therefore, it is hard to predict timelines and rates of success.
- If you commit to it, the benefits are undeniable
A normalization of breathing has tremendous benefits for every single person, even those considering themselves as healthy. It might surprise you to learn how many people would come to the Buteyko workshop to relieve their respiratory condition, and during the treatment would find out that their eczema subsided, anxiety decreased or they suddenly don’t need laxatives any more. Improved sleep, concentration and digestion, less mental and physical fatigue, a strengthened immune system and better emotional health are just a few side effects of every successful Buteyko journey.
- Is working with a Practitioner worth the money?
You can learn to play piano by book or with the piano teacher. If you are serious about piano playing then you would probably hire a teacher. As with any learning, how to learn Buteyko is your personal choice, just consider you are gaining a knowledge which will directly affect your health for the rest of your life. To the best of my knowledge, the majority of the Buteyko Practitioners charge not more than any other teacher / instructor would, considering their time investment. A Buteyko Practitioner will not only make sure you are making adequate progress with the therapy, but will also provide a much-needed, ongoing support.
That being said, there are excellent, inexpensive books, DVDs and learning aids available which might get you started, help you gain a better understanding, and support and reinforce you throughout the therapy.
- You have little to lose
and, in case of success, everything to gain. The Buteyko therapy is generally very safe and has virtually no cost in comparison with other traditional or alternative methods.
In the next article we’ll talk about cautions and contraindications, and also discuss the conditions for which Buteyko has limited or no effectiveness.
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.
New Buteyko Learning aids
Friday, April 2nd, 2010| <Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us> | ||
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This week I am excited about two Buteyko products that just came out – Patrick McKeown’s new book Anxiety free: stop worrying and quieten your mind and Relaxation / Reduced Breathing audio guide. | |
| If you ask any Buteyko student what is the most challenging aspect of Buteyko, theywill probably tell you – first, learning how to do the Reduced Breathing correctly, and second, keeping up with daily exercise routine. If you are one of those people, the Relaxation / Reduced Breathing audio guide is what you need. An audio recorded by Patrick McKeown, will guide you through a 20 min session Relaxation / Reduced Breathing, and no more guess work! Keep it on your PC, make a CD or download to iPod; find a quiet spot, relax and enjoy your session! The Anxiety free book is about addressing everyday stress by calming an overactive, controlling mind. The way to achieve it is, on one hand , through the Buteyko principals of reduction of breathing volume and relaxation, and on the other hand, through taking control of your thought process. For all of us, living in a fight or flight daily, it is a practical resource to combat the destructive influences of stress and over-reactive mind. It could be also a great help for people suffering from panic and anxiety disorders, as well as depression.In our sophisticated Western world with its emphasis on intelligence and the stigma on mental problems, normal healthy people who go through periods of being down or depressed have few outlets through which to seek help. Addressing this deficit early on is the key to reversing it. (Anxiety free: stop worrying and quieten your mind)
Sample book chapters are available in our March Newsletter Both, the book and the audio, are intended for general audience. People who are not familiar with the Buteyko Therapy, among other benefits, will get an introduction to the Method. If you ever wanted to tell your friends, relatives, neighbors or coworkers about the Buteyko Method, those two products will make an excellent gift.
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DuPuytrens Contracture Case Report
Monday, March 1st, 2010| <Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us > | ||
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The following article about DuPuytrens Contracture case is kindly provided by Pippa Kiraly, an inspirational Buteyko Educator since 2004 in Seattle, WA. Pippa was a nurse and a lifelong serious asthma sufferer who after 35 years on steroids and many other drugs was able to recover by applying the Butyeko Method. With her improved breathing she went trekking in the Himalayas in 2003, climbing to 10,500 feet in the Annapurna range. | |
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DuPuytrens Contracture is a hand condition in which there is painless thickening and fibrosis of the palmar fascia with localized formation of scar tissue beneath the skin accumulating in the fascia that normally covers the tendons that pull the fingers to grip. | |
| As Dupuytren contracture progresses, more of the fascia becomes thickened and shortened. Dimpling and puckering of the skin over the area eventually occurs and it can become impossible to straighten fingers, usually the fourth and fifth.How could Buteyko alleviate this?It has, in one client I saw last September.S.E. 61, a Rolfer, came to me for allergies and asthma and I taught her a course Sept 21-28, 2009. She also checked offmuscle and joint pain, anxiety and bladder irritability.
October 14, 2009 S.E. told me of the hereditary DuPuytren’s Contracture affecting her left hand, saying that, along with the other symptoms for which I had taught her, the inflammation and soreness in her hand after a day of Rolfing (a form of deep tissue massage) was diminishing. Looking at the hand, I saw a dead white patch about the size of a silver dollar in the center of the palm, with a thickened tendon, also dead white, prominent in it. This patch, she said, was smaller than it had been, and her hand less sore. Her CP had risen slightly, from the mid teens at the end of the course, to mostly averaging around 20 at this point. November 17, 2009 I saw S.E.s hand again. To my astonishment, the palm color had changed from white to pink, and the tendon was less prominent. Her CP was still inching up, low 20s at this point, but her other symptoms were continuing to unprove. December 18, 2009 S. E. has eye surgery coming up, and is fighting a cold. Her general symptoms continue to improve, and her hand also. She said in an e-mail: “The palm has more color and is softer and looks less ‘glued down.’ I was able to do a full week ofRolfing with no resulting soreness in that palmar fascia, which is great. I would not say the sense of contracture is completely gone, but it is so much better and continues to improve.” S.E. still struggles with CPs, now as high as 30 or as low as 13, but she is getting a better sense of relaxation in her rib cage, diaphragm, face and cranium, and then her CP rises more. February 2, 2010. S.E. reports a big shift in CP to high 20s- lower 30s, and she finds doing RB easier. Her hand continues to improve. She no longer feels pulling in the palm when stretching it. She does not say the condition has totally disappeared but it is close. S.E. has been a model client, diligent and observant. I will see her again when she comes in for a refresher class February 20. This appears to be the first instance of Buteyko helping this condition. If you wish to contact Pippa, send Email to info@lifelongeasybreathing.com.
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What is the Buteyko Breathing Method?
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010| <Like this article? Visit our website www.asthmacare.us> |
The Butyeko Method is surely drawing a lot of attention lately. I am finding numerous posts on different asthma support groups’ web sites, the majority of them triggered by NY Times articles, with questions about the Buteyko Method. Unfortunately, because of such a low Buteyko Method awareness in the United States, many people who answer those questions usually don’t have a first -hand experience practicing or teaching the Buteyko Method.
So, if you’ve never heard of the Butyeko Breathing Method and are curious about it, the following is a short summary to get you started.
1. The Buteyko Method was developed by a Russian doctor, Professor Konstantin Buteyko, in the 1950s. Despite initial skepticism from medical communities, the Buteyko Breathing Method continued to gain popularity and to spread not only in the Soviet Union, but around the world. In the 1990s, Buteyko’s students and followers eventually introduced the Method in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many other European countries.
2. The Buteyko Method is used for achieving natural, drug-free control over many chronic conditions or diseases of civilization. The Butyeko Breathing Method is a complete therapy with a physiologically-based theory, developed over time-application techniques, measurements of progress etc., and has nothing to do with other breathing techniques such as traditional respiratory therapies, Yoga breathing, deep breathing exercises, etc.
3. In the West, the Buteyko Method has been mostly researched and practiced for asthma and other respiratory conditions.
4. The theory is based on the assumption that most patients with a variety of modern, chronic health problems constantly hyperventilate. They continuously breathe volumes of air, that are significantly above their metabolic requirements. The severity of the disease is proportional to the degree of hyperventilation. Restoring normal breathing leads to elimination of symptoms and reversal of the disease.
5. Seven clinical trials were conducted to-date in Western countries for asthma. The trials show consistent breathing improvement in asthmatic patients and significant reduction in medication use.
6. Worldwide, Buteyko Therapy recognition facts include a number of medical and government institutions admitting the benefits of the Buteyko Method in treating asthmatic patients.
7. The reluctance of many medical practitioners to recommend the Method is based mostly on the following:
- difficulty validating the theory, as not enough research is done on the subject of Chronic Hyperventilation’s affect on human health
-the absence of large-scale, long-term, clinical trials and corresponding medical publications
-in the short-term trials that were conducted, a significant reduction in symptoms and medication was achieved, although the lung function didn’t change
-fear that patients might abandon their asthma treatment plan and exacerbate symptoms
8. The goal of a practical application of the Method is to reverse Chronic Hyperventilation and restore a healthy breathing pattern. Buteyko therapy is essentially an educational breathing retraining program, that, among other things, teaches the importance of nasal breathing at all times, includes daily breathing practice and physical exercise with correct breathing, and encourages changes toward a healthier lifestyle.
9. Despite the lack of scientific proof (little or no publications in Western medical literature, no large-scale, long-term clinical trials, etc.), years of experience of Russian and Western Buteyko practitioners show that with the correct application, Buteyko therapy can considerably reduce symptoms and dependency on medication, and, in many cases, completely reverse the condition. With increased awareness, hopefully more Buteyko research will be initiated.
10. The Buteyko Method is generally safe for any age and disease severity if practiced under the supervision of a qualified Practitioner. The Buteyko Method does not include the use of any drugs, supplements or devices. The only optional cost is a Practitioner fee, which averages around the cost of a one-to-two month supply of commonly prescribed, preventive combination inhalers (for example–Advair).
11. Best practices of the Buteyko Practitioners in the West usually include a series of workshops or individual lessons where students learn to apply the Buteyko Breathing Technique. Lessons also include a theory introduction, as well as lifestyle guidelines. The practitioner’s role is to make sure a patient fully understands the theory behind the method, that the patient can correctly measure progress, and is able to practice breathing exercises in the most efficient way according to age, history of their disease, other health conditions, etc.
12. Buteyko is not a “quick fix”, and success with the therapy largely depends on a student’s understanding of the goals of the therapy, perseverance with breathing practice and making necessary lifestyle adjustments.
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Buteyko Clinic USA offers unique breathing rehabilitation programs that result in long term drug free control over asthma, allergies, COPD, rhinitis, chronic cough, snoring, sleep apnea, anxiety, panic, chronic hyperventilation syndrome and other chronic conditions. Contact us today for a free consultation.