AsthmaCare UK - Frequently Asked Questions |
QUESTIONS FREQUENTLY ASKED
about Buteyko
What conditions can the Buteyko Method help?
The Buteyko Method is helpful for any illness, since the body can deal with difficulties more effectively when a person is breathing normally, i.e. gas exchange is normal and when the balance between carbon dioxide and oxygen is correct. The Method is particularly effective for any of the breath-related disorders such as hayfever, rhinitis, sinusitis, coughing, COPD, emphysema, bronchiectasis, bronchitis, Hyperventilation Syndrome, panic attacks, snoring/sleep apnoea. Chronic hidden hyperventilation and a reduced carbon dioxide level play such a significant role in the process of disease that Prof. Buteyko carried out years of research on the application of his method for hormonal regulation as in hypo- and hyper-thyroidism and infertility, panic attacks, diabetes, hypertension, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Many thousands of Russian patients found that his teaching of the Method improved these conditions. Although there are so far no clinical trials to measure these outcomes, people using Buteyko often find their health improving in unexpected ways. See "The Oxygen Paradox" for details of Prof. Buteyko’s research over 40 years.
Will the Buteyko Method just decrease symptoms, or actually cure asthma?
The definition and diagnosis of asthma are not an exact science. Many people who had been prescribed asthma medication have found that by using Buteyko they have been able to significantly reduce symptoms and medication. Buteyko is not allowed to be described as a cure, however, it is currently the best available form of asthma control without negative side effects. As you continue to follow the programme given by your practitioner your breathing starts to normalise. As the breathing normalises, symptoms cease to occur. As you need less reliever medication your breathing rate will improve even further. Hence, you are breaking the vicious cycle created by having to increase asthma medication and creating a virtuous cycle of health improvement. Many people consider that this is one of the major factors involved in the asthma epidemic seen in the Western world today. This is also why many people consider Buteyko the nearest we have to a cure.
As an asthmatic what results can I expect?
We expect the Buteyko Method course to allow sufferers to dramatically reduce their medication, and enjoy a much-improved quality of life. Asthmatics can expect to have a 71% reduction in symptoms, at least a 90% reduction in reliever medication and a subsequent reduction in preventer (steroid) medication. Children have similar outcomes. Without fear of constant asthma attacks quality of life improves dramatically. We expect the majority of asthmatics to see noticeable improvements within the first week.
What time commitment is needed to gain maximum benefit from a Buteyko course?
Buteyko is not a "quick fix". Children need to spend up to fifteen minutes three times a day practising the exercises for a minimum of three to four weeks after the course. An adult can expect to spend up to forty minutes three times a day for the same period. Three months later, the average adult asthmatic is doing less than 15 minutes of Buteyko per day and children less than five minutes. It is not necessary to find an extra two hours a day to practice adult Buteyko exercises. The exercises can be done during a normal daily routine, including while watching television, travelling, or reading.
If less time is committed to the exercises benefits will be slower to manifest. A severe asthmatic who only does the exercises three times a day for twenty minutes might take six weeks to achieve the same benefit someone else will gain from three weeks of exercising for thirty minutes three times a day.
Are the effects permanent? Once you have been persistent and have reached a certain point with the exercises, you will find you are no longer experiencing symptoms of asthma. If in the future your symptoms return then you can resume the exercises or you can take a refresher course with us.
Do I have to believe in Buteyko for it to work? No. Buteyko is used successfully by children as young as 4 years. These children don’t understand or believe in the process which helps them get better. Clearly a positive attitude toward wellness reinforces the effects of the treatment received, just as a negative attitude may hinder the effects of any other treatment. However, a neutral attitude ("I don't know if I really believe in this.") will not block the treatment results.
Has Buteyko been clinically tested and approved?
There is massive anecdotal evidence to show the benefits of using Buteyko in the form of testimonials in their thousands from all over the world. Current medical research has been limited, and cannot claimed to be definitive. However, all research so far has returned similar results - the method looks to be an effective intervention for asthma. The Brisbane trial is the best western study of the Buteyko Method on asthma. The trial results indicated asthmatics using the method reduced their use of beta-agonists by 96% and steroids by 49% within 3 months.
The outcome of the Brisbane trial has led the Australian National Asthma Campaign to include Buteyko in their current doctor’s Asthma Management Handbook, giving official recognition to the method. The Method has been endorsed in Russia for many years.
Further studies are currently underway. We welcome further research, as further research will only enhance the acceptance of the method.
How long will it take to achieve noticeable results? Your progress depends on the severity of your condition, how long-standing the condition is, and, importantly, your efforts at mastering the exercises and strategies. Within the first few days of practice you will notice the benefits, regardless of your condition. If your condition is not severe it may take less than a week to stop needing short-acting relievers completely.
Are the exercises complicated or difficult? Will I be able to learn them?
The Method does not involve any complicated breathing exercises. As far as exercises are concerned, even young children can easily do them. You will find that you do not even need to interrupt your daily activity for some exercises, you can adapt the exercises to your lifestyle.
I haven't breathed through my nose for years. Will Buteyko help me? Yes, but you might have to do a little more work than other people do for the first few days.
I only have mild asthma. Most of your stories are about severe asthmatics. Is it worth me learning the method? The reason that the stories are written about severe asthmatics is probably because journalists find it makes a better story. However, many people who don’t have asthma, but maybe have other health problems, have learned the Method – maybe they have a parent with asthma and can see similar patterns in their breathing. They use Buteyko as a preventer to stop themselves from developing asthma and subsequently report finding relief from headaches, muscle ache and other health problems.
I have very narrow nostrils. I don't think that I can breathe through my nose all the time as Buteyko suggests.
The first exercise you learn is how to unblock your nose and you’ll practise that exercise quite a lot to start with. The more you breathe through your nose the easier it becomes. If you have been diagnosed with nasal polyps or other physical obstruction then it is even more important to consult an experienced Buteyko practitioner with whom to take your course.
I have a small child, can he learn Buteyko? Buteyko is learned successfully by children as young as four years old, to adults right up into their eighties.
How was the Buteyko Method developed? Professor Buteyko, whilst completing his medical training, did a piece of work on breathing and health. He found that the sicker someone was, the more they breathed. So he set about exploring the connection between breath rate and disease. He found that during periods of disease the breath rate increased way over what is considered normal. He found that over 250 medical complaints responded favourably to breath reduction, the most noticeable being asthma and he then spent over 40 years treating patients in Russia and scientifically verifying the results of his Method.
How does the Buteyko Method work? The Buteyko Method normalises breathing. The exercises result in a gradual reduction in the overall intake and output of breath. Oxygen levels remain optimal, as with normal rate breathing oxygen levels are 98%, but what does change are the levels of carbon dioxide that are exhaled. This important gas is produced in the body and serves to keep the airways open and improve oxygen absorption.
What is hyperventilation? The World Health Organisation states normal breathing to be 8 to 10 breaths per minute taken through the nose at rest. Chronic Hidden Hyperventilation or over-breathing happens when the person’s breathing centre has reset itself so that volume of air breathed per minute is in excess of the body’s need. This can happen by either breathing more than the stated number of breaths per minute or when air is taken through the mouth rather than the nose.
How do I know if I am hyperventilating?
You can call us to receive your free copy of the Hyperventilation Test.
What happens on a Buteyko course?
The Method is taught on an individual assessment basis. It is necessary to identify each client’s respiratory pattern, symptoms and conditions to enable the practitioner to devise an individualised programme of Buteyko exercises.
Because the response to the breathing retraining is rapid, the Method is taught in five 90-minute sessions usually within 10 days. The spacing between the sessions of the course, usually at least one day, is important to establish ongoing assessment and adjustment of the exercise programme to individual needs.
A ButeykoBreathe UK course gives education on the topics of:
Nose clearing Nasal Breathing
Relaxation and Posture
Identifying symptoms and triggers – how to manage them
Medication –how to use less for best effect Perfect Health – how to get there
Managing infections/viruses Sleeping
Diet Exercise
AND provides a personalised follow-on programme Regular refreshers
The course requires no special clothing or equipment, and for adults most exercises are done sitting. The programme is more active for children.
How much does it cost?
The ButeykoBreathe UK fee covers the 3-month course - the CoreCourse is taken over a weekend or on a one-to-one basis plus follow-up. The fee for the whole course is £350. Additional family members booked on the same course can learn for a half course fee of £175.
Like many Buteyko practitioners Linda Meads is an asthmatic whose life has been changed by using the Method . She says of the course fee -
"Whilst I need to make a living from teaching Buteyko, it has been is important to me from the onset of my health improvements, to spread the word about Prof. Buteyko’s Method. So you will be pleased to know that a proportion of your course fee goes back into continuous promotion, either by radio, newspaper advertising, or time spent preparing newspaper and magazine articles, to raise awareness of Buteyko to people suffering from breathing problems and, particularly, the secondary side-effects of the drugs they have to take under the current asthma protocol."
Can the Buteyko Method help older people who have a long history of breathing problems?
Yes. The outcome is not as fast as experienced by a young person with a shorter history. Even so, the condition at first stops getting progressively worse, and gradually improves to give a quality of life the person may have thought no longer possible.
Can the Buteyko Method help me with my sports activities?
Yes. Stamina improves, and, if symptoms have been experienced during exercise, this gradually reduces to become an experience of the past.
What is required of me? To get full value from a Buteyko course you need to set aside some time. Firstly, about 10 hours of tuition to take the course. You will then be making some basic lifestyle changes and using the Buteyko breathing exercises two to four times a day. Depending on your progress, you'll find you can practise the Method with little or no intrusion on your normal routine. You should start to see benefits from day one of the course and most people find they start to enjoy a level of relaxation and quality of life which they previously believed impossible.
Is the Buteyko Method available on the NHS? Not at present.
Can I claim the cost under my private health insurance policy?
Please do apply to your health insurance company. Some companies will fund the course, and the more companies are asked to include it in their list of approved treatments, the more likely it will be that they will do so in the future.
What do I do about my asthma drugs when I am on a Buteyko course?
Bronchodilators (reliever medication such as Ventolin) are taken on an as-needed basis, according to Asthma UK guidelines. During a Buteyko course and in the weeks following, you use as much bronchodilator as you need – if you don’t need your reliever, due to the Buteyko exercises, then you don’t use it. Steroids should never be stopped unless under the guidance of your doctor, who, when the time come, will be very happy to reduce/stop drugs you no longer need.
A Buteyko course is a very good investment in your health. You are learning strategies and techniques that will help to get you healthy and keep you in good health for the rest of your life. Incidentally, those people who pay for their own prescriptions often find that they have saved the course fee within a year in prescription charges alone.
What about ongoing support? As an asthmatic myself, I know the value of follow-up. ButeykoBreathe UK is committed to giving support for as long as it takes for your health to substantially improve. For some, this means no contact after the course, while some clients need an organised package of follow-up. We arrange this during the course. Some clients are still in touch 3 or 4 years later, often just to say how well they are doing. Clients are encouraged to return to future courses at no extra cost or they can pay for a one-to-one refresher
What do doctors think of the Method ?
Most doctors are pleased to see their patients’ reliance on drugs of any kind reduced or diminished. However, until they have actually seen a patient improve after taking a course, they are often sceptical of any new method that claims such unprecedented results. You can tell your doctor and/or asthma nurse what you are doing so they may monitor your progress. We believe the method is a very effective system, and welcome both formal and informal research into the Buteyko Method.
Doctors who have used Buteyko in their practice have been very impressed with the results, both in terms of patient outcomes and in terms of reduction in their drug budgets. One such GP. Dr Gerald Spence, a Glasgow GP told the QED
science programme that Buteyko had had a major impact on his practice. He started the breathing technique after the expensive drug treatments currently on the market appeared to make no difference to his patients. "The simple fact is that 34 patients, prior to Buteyko, were costing £15,000 for their asthma medication," he said. "After Buteyko, they were costing £5,000. That's a reduction of two-thirds in their drugs bill. If this was extended to the rest of the country, very significant savings could be made."
(Source: BBC News Online/Health archive)
Can I learn Buteyko from a DVD?
For some individuals whose condition is not severe, a DVD home course has been successful. However to get the full benefit of Buteyko you are advised to have the exercises tailored to your particular needs. It is a saving of time and money to take a course with a qualified, experienced practitioner.
For extra background to Buteyko you can buy an excellent book by Jennifer & Russell Stark who have taught the Method to over 7000 people world wide and trained over 80 practitioners. It includes the most up-to-date information on Buteyko in a very easy to read format. Be aware, however, that this is not a do-it-yourself instruction manual. "The Carbon Dioxide Syndrome" is available from ButeykoBreathe UK by e-mailing or phoning us - cost £15.00 - p&p is £2.00 in the UK.
How do I find a genuine Buteyko practitioner?
There are strict requirements and code of ethics to become a Buteyko practitioner. Unfortunately, the field of complementary health care is largely unregulated. There are people who claim to be Buteyko practitioners who have had very little training and no supervision. Most therapies have some kind of professional body which sets standards of training and qualifications, which ensures members work to a code of ethics. The Buteyko Institute of Breathing & Health is the largest western organisation which sets standards for training. You can contact them, or us, to confirm the qualifications of a Buteyko practitioner.
When choosing a Buteyko practitioner….
check their qualifications and training. i.e. Who trained them and for how long?
Which professional body do they belong to? What are the standards for joining that body? How much experience have they had with your condition?
What fee they charge?
What do you get for your fee?
Ask yourself: "Do I feel comfortable with the practitioner?"
I have ASTHMA. I’ve been using medication for years to control my asthma symptoms. Why should I take a Buteyko course?
Medication simply controls or suppresses the symptoms of any disease, including asthma. Medication does not address the underlying cause, which Prof. Buteyko found to be hyperventilation or overbreathing. In fact, asthma reliever medication has been shown to make symptoms worse and to lead to increased allergic response. In 1993 a Canadian study demonstrated that after just two weeks use of regular Salbutamol (Ventolin) there was an increased reaction of the airways to the same amount of allergen. In the summary it was stated that the effect of inhaled beta antagonists provided further evidence to support the detrimental effects of regular use.
The newer long-acting beta-antagonists such as Salmeterol known as Serevent (or Seretide when combined with steroid), Formoterol Fumarate know as Oxis (or Symbicort when combined with steroid) seem to control asthma symptoms. However these are no safer and may be more dangerous in the long-term. In July 1995 Dr. Lipworth of the University of Dundee produced a paper published in the Lancet entitled "Bronchodilator subsensitivity to Salbutamol after twice daily Salmeterol in asthma patients". Patients were randomised to receive Salmeterol 50 mg twice daily or a placebo, for 4 weeks in a double-blind cross-over fashion. It was found that the patients pre-treated with Salmeterol had a reduced response to Salbutamol, in terms of both Forced Expiratory Volume (FEV1) and Peak Flow expiratory flow rates, than those treated with placebo. The reduction in response equated to a 2.5 to 4-fold greater dosage of Salbutamol being required to produce the same benefit as found in the placebo group.
This may explain the very common situation found among asthma patients that, year after year, they are being prescribed increasing doses of asthma medication. The dose never seems to be reduced. The only known way of reducing symptoms of asthma and thereby reducing the need for medication is to re-train the breathing by use of the Buteyko breathing re-training exercises and strategies.
What is my next step? The first step in a ButeykoBreathe UK course can be a one-to-one consultation, in person or on the phone. If you haven’t yet made up your mind about taking a course, you can call or email us to arrange your first session. If, after hearing about how it all works, you decide to continue, you make your course fee payment on the second day of the course. After two or three days even the most sceptical of people find that their sleeping, asthma and other symptoms have improved. One-to-one Weekday courses are also available.
Contact us for a booking form or just to have a talk about how Buteyko can help you, your child or friends.
AsthmaCare UK
59 Albany Road
Stratford-upon-Avon
CV37 6PG
CALL US ON 01789 298290 for further information 
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