THE
BUTEYKO METHOD
Assists
your body to heal by correcting the tendency to over-breathe.
In the general population it has been estimated that
a minimum of 10 percent (and likely
much more) of all patients referred to specialist clinics are suffering
primarily from unconscious over-breathing.
A habit of over-breathing can start off innocently
enough; as the result of a cold or flu, or acute or prolonged stress from any
cause during which time the breathing rate increases but fails to return to normal once the initial cause has passed.
Problems caused by over-breathing
Ø
in the circulatory system - missed heart beats,
palpitations, chest pain, Raynaud’s disease and a deadening of fingers and
toes, hypertension
Ø
In the central nervous system to cause dizziness, visual
disturbances and tingling sensations or numbness.
Ø
in the gut, muscles and general
energy levels.
Ø
In the respiratory system – shortness
of breath, blocked airways, nose and sinuses, oversensitivity of airways.
Conditions that can benefit from
Buteyko
Asthma
- intrinsic, exercise induced and allergic. Relatively simple to treat using the
Buteyko method. Clinical trials show asthmatics can expect up to 90% reduction
in relief medication in the first week.
Chronic
cough - coughing is in
itself a form of hyperventilation and phlegm is part of your lung's defence
mechanism. Coughing on top of wheeze can lead to an asthma attack.
Emphysema
- With these conditions a gentle more individual approach to the Buteyko method
is required, but even after just one week people commonly make enough
improvement to encourage further practice. Although not a "cure" you
should experience some improvement in symptoms, medication levels and exercise
tolerance.
Rhinitis
- Breathing through your nose may at first seem impossible if you have
chronically blocked nasal passages. Buteyko
breathing exercises can unblock your nose, and when followed up with correct
breathing keep your nasal passages clear.
Sinusitis
- The Buteyko method has been demonstrated to improve sinusitis, providing there
is no severe nasal fracture, septum deviation or foreign body present. Over time
this usually means the frequent antibiotics often taken with this condition
become redundant.
Hay
fever - Considered by
Buteyko as asthma of the nose, this distressing condition, often robbing the
sufferer of the joys of summer, responds to the Buteyko method coupled with
simple dietary changes.
Snoring
- This can seem trivial, but not by the sufferer or their partner. There is a
higher incidence of high blood pressure and heart problems amongst snorers, and
snoring can lead to sleep apnoea (see below). Generally, snoring is quickly
overcome with breath retraining.
Sleep
Apnoea - This
condition in which there is temporary cessation of breathing during sleep, at
best leaves the sufferer feeling tired from lack of unbroken sleep, and at worst
means sleeping with a cumbersome machine. Sleep apnoea can be controlled with
Buteyko and perseverance.
Anxiety
symptoms -
Hyperventilation, and subsequent depletion of carbon dioxide (CO2), can in
itself lead to symptoms and will exacerbate any feelings of anxiety and stress.
Buteyko will increase levels of CO2 and go a long way to reduce symptoms.
Migraine
- the low levels of CO2 that result from hyperventilation cause constriction of
the blood vessels. This is thought to be a main contributory cause of migraines
and headaches. Using Buteyko breathing can lead to averting these painful
episodes and finally eradicating them.
Hypertension
– blood pressure has
been found to reduce as breathing becomes normalised, eliciting the
‘relaxation response’.
Contact Us e-Mail
Phone: (08) 9305 2527 Western Australia