My initial training was as a medical herbalist: I have 20 years’ experience in this area, and am a member of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP). I also belong to the Buteyko Breathing Association (BBA), which provides Buteyko teacher training for healthcare professionals in the UK.
I have studied clinical phytotherapy with the French phytotherapist Dr Jean-Claude Lapraz in Paris since 1998, and arrange regular seminars with Dr Lapraz in London. The therapeutic approach developed by Drs Lapraz and Duraffourd is based on a global view of the human organism, particularly regarding the influence of the hormonal and autonomic nervous systems on a wide range of health conditions. This ‘endobiogenic’ approach has had a profound effect on my teaching and practice.
In line with this global approach, I have long had an interest in the influence of breathing on health, which led me to complete the Buteyko Teacher Training course with the Buteyko Breathing Association. I have been amazed by the transformation that this series of breathing exercises has wrought in asthma sufferers whose lives have hitherto been totally dominated by their condition. I look forward to continuing my work with those suffering from asthma, hyperventilation and other breathing difficulties to help them breathe normally, reduce their dependence on medication, and enjoy a better quality of life.
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Buteyko Breathing Therapy
What is Buteyko Breathing Therapy?
Buteyko Breathing Therapy (BBT) involves teaching patients with either asthma or COPD simple exercises in voluntary breath control, with the aim of reducing the frequency and severity of their symptoms. The method was developed by a Russian doctor, Dr Konstantin Buteyko, who observed a relationship between his patients’ breathing rate and the severity and prognosis of their illness: that is, the faster their rate of breathing, the more severe their illness and the worse the outcome.
The essence of Dr Buteyko’s teaching may be summed up by the two words ‘breathe less’. For those who habitually gasp for air during an asthma attack, this may sound like strange advice, but there is a sound scientific reason for it: beyond a certain point, the more oxygen that is breathed in, the less actually gets to the cells and tissues that need it – a phenomenon known as the Bohr effect.
Hyperventilation
It has long been recognised that patients with asthma usually hyperventilate (over-breathe) and cough during the early stages of an attack. It is likely that the combined effect of cooling, drying and traumatising an already inflamed mucous membrane (which is what happens during hyperventilation) serves to aggravate the underlying bronchial spasm. Dr Buteyko also contended that the low levels of carbon dioxide induced by hyperventilation are a major factor in provoking an asthma attack, and some recent research provides support for this hypothesis.
Buteyko exercises teach the asthma sufferer how to avoid this initial hyperventilation phase and to allow any symptoms to subside naturally during the course of a few minutes.
Many patients suffering from asthma and other breathing disorders are habitual mouth breathers – which leads to chronic hyperventilation. Buteyko exercises teach these patients how to clear their nasal obstruction and restore a normal nasal breathing pattern. As well as ensuring a better distribution of oxygen to the tissues, breathing through the nose warms, filters and humidifies the inhaled air, thus reducing irritation of the bronchial mucous membrane.
People who experience other hyperventilation-related disorders – for example, panic attacks – may also benefit from Buteyko Breathing Therapy.
Evidence of effectiveness
There have now been six randomised controlled trials of the Buteyko method, all of which have shown either significant reductions in the need for medication or improvements in asthma control. As a result of this, Buteyko Breathing Therapy is officially recognised by the British Thoracic Society as an effective method of controlling asthma symptoms.
For more information on Buteyko, visit my website at
www.buteykobreathingtherapy.com
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