What
Is The Buteyko Method?
The Buteyko Method is a well proven, clinically tested and
effective breath training system that teaches clients how to improve their breathing, make changes in their lifestyle and
educates them about the importance of normal breathing.
It is not a medical treatment but a physical and anti-stress training that re-establishes normal breathing , in particular
eliminating chronic hidden hyperventilation and other aspects of dysfunctional breathing.
Up to 75% of the population in the West suffer
some degree of dysfunctional breathing but it is rarely diagnosed by their doctors and even when identified, support and help
to correct it is often not given. Professor Konstantin Buteyko, a Russian doctor and founder of the method claimed over a
hundred modern diseases were associated with chronic hidden hyperventilation as either a major causative factor or an associated
factor that aggravates the condition.
Over-breathing or hyperventilation is one of the many responses to stress and most medical authorities accept the
fact that stress is perhaps the most important contributor to ill health. Professor Buteyko discovered that by teaching the
elimination of hyperventilation along with other lifestyle changes the adverse impact of stress on people's health was
much reduced or eliminated.
Because the Buteyko Method has been shown to invariably have a profound beneficial
effect when taught to asthma patients much of the western research has been focused on its application to asthma (see Clinical
Research Section) but in recent years more and more attention is being given to its use with other conditions such as sleep
apnoea, panic attacks & anxiety, hypertension and ME.
More research is needed in these areas but since most medical research is funded
by the pharmaceutical companies, and because one of the common outcomes of Buteyko Method training is a reduced need for drugs,
funding from this source is most unlikely.
Clinical Trial Of The Buteyko
Method In North America (Private funding)
In 2000, the son
of a wealthy Alberta family traveled to New York to learn the Buteyko Method for severe asthma. The results were so spectacular
that his parents approached the University of Calgary about funding a major research project on Buteyko. Their donation of
one million dollars led to the first clinical trial in North America at the Foothills Hospital, Calgary.
Results showed:
- Good Asthma control had increased from 41% to 75%.
- Inhaled Cortico-steroids (ICS) reduction was 28%.
- Percentage of subjects who were able to eliminate
ICS.
- 18% Percentage of subjects who eliminated the use of long-lasting relievers 19%.
“
I’ve been astonished and also very pleased with the excellent result. There is no disruption of their life at all by
their disease (due to Buteyko): normal activities; not waking at night; not needing to use any reliever medications. It’s
just great...75% control is about as good as anyone has got in any study of asthma. The neat thing about it is that it has
no side effects. It’s very safe. The Buteyko technique certainly has been shown to be an important adjunct to treatment.”
Dr Robert Cowie, Chief Respirologist, Foothills Hospital,
Calgary, Alberta.
Calgary CityTV, May 2006.
Typical clinical trial results is 70 - 95% reduction in asthma symptoms, 85 - 100% reduction
in short term reliever medication, and 50% reduction steroid preventer medication.
The British Thoracic Society has approved the Buteyko Breathing Method as a standard adjunctive treatment option
for Doctors to use for people with Asthma. It has been proven to be highly effective treatment for Asthma.
GINA The Global Initiative for Asthma has endorsed breath training for asthma because of its high grade research
results.
Buteyko Publications
There are many Buteyko publications by Russian & Western authors to see most of
them visit Amazon Books HERE
Jennifer and Russell Stark.
The Starks have been teaching Buteyko since the early 90's and are perhaps the most widely known
Educators outside of Russia. They were the first to formalize the training of Buteyko Educators with a curriculum
and high standards. They wrote the first manual for Buteyko educators, produced an extremely successful Home Education Kit
for people who do not have a Buteyko Educator nearby. They also wrote “The Carbon Dioxide Syndrome” (2002) a
comprehensive book on the devastating effects of long-term low levels of carbon dioxide. The book is geared towards the
lay person.
