My Crohn's and Colitis Blog » Chronic Asthma Treatment » Breathing Exercises (was All this Buteyko)
Breathing Exercises (was All this Buteyko)
Question:
Another thing that can really help you when you are having an attack is to change into a posture that makes breathing easier. One of the best is sitting at a table, with your arms (or a pillow) on it and your head resting on that. This gives your chest room to expand, while keeping your airways unobstructed. The table shouldn’t be too low for this to work. The same works for sleeping: the position I’ve been taught there, and still use every night, is lying on your side. The lowest leg you keep sort of straight, while the other one is bent to preven rolling over. This also relaxes the muscles of your midsection, making breathing easier. You can put your arm under your head, or use a pillow.
I’ve found out that lying on my right hand side makes me breathe easier through my nose, rather than lying on left.. If I were to dig really deep into my closet I might still find the booklets handed out by the sanatorium describing these methods. But as I’ve been using them ever since, I haven’t looked them up in ages.
Please post them here, if you find them.. |-| /- |-< |-< ||| – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I hope this is of some help to all of you, please feel free to ask if not. And remember, I’m not a doctor. Regards, Paul
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Perhaps the discussion would be better served if the topic was breathing exercises. Many asthmatics have never seen a respiratory therapist, at least not in the situation where being taught breathing exercises. I am familar with a few that was taught about 20 years ago as part of my nursing training. But I am sure there are others. … The one I remember most is where you pucker your lips like you are going to whistle. This in effect restricts air flow coming out of the mouth. You exhale slowly through your mouth. This was supposed to facilitate getting the trapped air out by slowing down the expiratory phase. I’ve done this during a severe attack without training…it *does* seem to help, but I’d wished someone had told me about it before. Thanks for giving me some convergent validity. Scott T.
This exercise, called ‘Blowing Out the Candle’, is described in the book ‘Reversing Asthma’ by Richard Firshein, D.O., c’96 Warner Books. The book says "It may be done sitting, standing, or lying down. Draw in a belly breath. Upon exhalation, purse your lips firmly and exhale as forcefully as you can, as if you were blowing out candles on a birthday cake." This is one of 8 breathing exercises described in the book.
Response:
Perhaps the discussion would be better served if the topic was breathing exercises. Many asthmatics have never seen a respiratory therapist, at least not in the situation where being taught breathing exercises. I am familar with a few that was taught about 20 years ago as part of my nursing training. But I am sure there are others. … The one I remember most is where you pucker your lips like you are going to whistle. This in effect restricts air flow coming out of the mouth. You exhale slowly through your mouth. This was supposed to facilitate getting the trapped air out by slowing down the expiratory phase.
I’ve done this during a severe attack without training…it *does* seem to help, but I’d wished someone had told me about it before. Thanks for giving me some convergent validity. Scott T.
Response:
Perhaps the discussion would be better served if the topic was breathing exercises. Many asthmatics have never seen a respiratory therapist, at least not in the situation where being taught breathing exercises. I am familar with a few that was taught about 20 years ago as part of my nursing training. But I am sure there are others.
For an asthmatic, breathing is important. But I believe the message of breathing methods is getting mangled by the messenger. During an asthma attack it is important to stay calm. A lower metabolic rate means less oxygen is required. I’ve had asthma/bronchitis for thirty some-odd years, and my lungs (chest muscles) have adapted to get the maximum amount of oxygen for the minumum amount of effort. Other than being a non-wheezer, this is one reason for doctor mistreatment: "Your breathing is very relaxed, you don’t have asthma." DUH. If I don’t stay ‘cool’ I’ll be on a stretcher. Uh, doco, this paper says my peak flow is at least 800 liters/minute, not 525 liters/minute, so why is it I appear to be suffering when your peak flow meter shows 300 liters/minute? [situation not to be confused with fiction] Returning to subject, breathing is part of asthma. The posts are relevant, as far as presenting a method. But not a philosophy. Preaching the philosophy of it’s in your head (by the way, you’re not doing so) runs far to close to the Quacks adage of "This is not asthma, you have a mental problem, here are tranquilizers and anti-depressants, go away." The posts are NEVER relevant where the messenger denigrates others to make their point. (While I’m mildly quilty of this, it’s usually a response to someone else bullying a poster.) Michael J. Lim Systems Analyst Lockheed Martin Chronic Asthma since 12/95 Off work since 8/96 When I’m not resting in bed, I have Internet time on my hands.
Response:
Like Laura, and probably others, I am a bit surprised, and dismayed, by all these Buteyko postings. I have seen some that suggest stopping your medication in just a few *days*, some advocate to tape your mouth closed while sleeping, and they all have this phrase "Why don’t you try it, it can’t hurt you". I feel these statements rather contradict each other.
I have mixed feelings about Buteyko. The breathing exercises can be very helpful to some (they are to me). But nothing is a cure all and every asthmatic is different. I would not propose anyone stopping their medication or taping their mouth. Others have pointed out it is no better or worse than other breathing exercises. Perhaps the discussion would be better served if the topic was breathing exercises. Many asthmatics have never seen a respiratory therapist, at least not in the situation where being taught breathing exercises. I am familar with a few that was taught about 20 years ago as part of my nursing training. But I am sure there are others. Breathing exercises can have many benefits…. More sense of control during an asthma attack, provides exercise for the lungs, etc. How about others in the group share breathing techniques that are used and beneficial to them. This will help educate those that have not been taught any breathing exercises and they can then discuss the use with their doctors. The one I remember most is where you pucker your lips like you are going to whistle. This in effect restricts air flow coming out of the mouth. You exhale slowly through your mouth. This was supposed to facilitate getting the trapped air out by slowing down the expiratory phase. Betty
Response:
Perhaps the discussion would be better served if the topic was breathing exercises. Many asthmatics have never seen a respiratory therapist, at least not in the situation where being taught breathing exercises. I am familar with a few that was taught about 20 years ago as part of my nursing training. But I am sure there are others.
I learned a few while I stayed for about a year in a sanatorium for asthmatics in the Netherlands. Actually, I was scheduled to go to the one in Davos, Switzerland, a year of skiing and snow, but then my asthma suddenly got so much worse that they didn’t dare send me there and I missed out on all that fun 
By the way, this was "only" 17 years ago, I think.. might have faded a little, too 
Breathing exercises can have many benefits…. More sense of control during an asthma attack, provides exercise for the lungs, etc. How about others in the group share breathing techniques that are used and beneficial to them. This will help educate those that have not been taught any breathing exercises and they can then discuss the use with their doctors. The one I remember most is where you pucker your lips like you are going to whistle. This in effect restricts air flow coming out of the mouth. You exhale slowly through your mouth. This was supposed to facilitate getting the trapped air out by slowing down the expiratory phase.
I don’t think the slowing down is the key effect here: I understand that the way this one works is by decreasing the difference in air-pressure between the inside of your lungs and the air outside. When your bronchial tubes are restricted, the air tends to get trapped behind them. When you try hard to breath out, you increase the pressure on your lungs, and those tubes close off even more, and the air gets trapped even more. By creating a pressure inside your airways you prevent this effect because the pressure on the outside of these bronchial tubes will be closer to that on their inside, and hence they don’t get squeezed tighter. And so the breathing becomes more efficient and less painfull. This one really works very well for me. Another thing that can really help you when you are having an attack is to change into a posture that makes breathing easier. One of the best is sitting at a table, with your arms (or a pillow) on it and your head resting on that. This gives your chest room to expand, while keeping your airways unobstructed. The table shouldn’t be too low for this to work. The same works for sleeping: the position I’ve been taught there, and still use every night, is lying on your side. The lowest leg you keep sort of straight, while the other one is bent to preven rolling over. This also relaxes the muscles of your midsection, making breathing easier. You can put your arm under your head, or use a pillow. If I were to dig really deep into my closet I might still find the booklets handed out by the sanatorium describing these methods. But as I’ve been using them ever since, I haven’t looked them up in ages. I hope this is of some help to all of you, please feel free to ask if not. And remember, I’m not a doctor. Regards, Paul Lynx users have a "Right to follow a link", too!
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