Buteyko breathing practice
Comments from Western Medical Practitioners
about the Buteyko Method
“Those practising Buteyko Breathing Technique reduced hyperventilation and
their use of beta2-agonists. A trend toward reduced inhaled steroid use and
better quality of life was observed in these patients without objective changes
in measures of airway calibre.”
Doctor
Simon D Bowler, FRACP, Thoracic Physician, Charles A Mitchell, FRACP,
Associate Professor, Australia
“The ability to produce marked reductions in asthma-drug utilisation suggests
that the pharmaco-economic implications of BBT merit further study.
Clarification of the mechanism(s) underlying the effectiveness of BBT is a
further goal, given that BBT appears to represent a safe, efficacious
alternative for the management of asthma...All published studies on the Buteyko
breathing technique, including one which we performed in Gisborne, have shown positive results. Reductions of
reliever medications averaged 85 to 95 per cent and reductions in preventer
medication 40 to 50 per cent.”
Doctor
Bruce Duncan MB, ChB, MSc, MRCGP, MFPHM, FAFPHM, DCH, Gisborne Hospital,
Australia
Doctor Patrick McHugh, BMedSc, MB, ChB, DipGUMed, Dip MSM, Emergency Department, Gisborne
Hospital, Australia
"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."
Doctor Gerald Spence, GP, Glasgow, the UK
"I have experienced the Buteyko breathing technique both personally and
professionally and found it to be a very effective treatment for asthma. I
experienced substantial relief and improvement for my lifelong asthma and
rhinitis within 3 days of starting my treatment seminar and the results have
proved to be long-lasting. I was so impressed that I have now trained as a
Buteyko practitioner."
Doctor Kevin Treacy, New Zealand
"Professor Buteyko's principles are entirely consistent with the
physiological facts established by medical research 120 years ago. The Buteyko
system makes use of the person's own resources and trains them in taking
responsibility for their own health. They become less dependant on outside
agencies such as hospitals, doctors and physiotherapists, thereby reducing the
costs to the health service".
Doctor Godfrey Nelson, M.B.B.A, F.R.A.C, G.P., the UK
"I've been astonished and also very pleased with the excellent result. There
is no disruption of their life at all by their disease: 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."
Doctor Bob Cowie, Calgary Trial of the Buteyko Method, Canada
"It changed my life. Before, I could barely walk up stairs now I can manage a
10-mile hike. I was using my puffer four times a day as well as steroids and now
I"m off all drugs."
Doctor John Stanley of the British National Public Health Laboratory. the UK
"The Buteyko Institute Method provides a comprehensive approach to achieving
safe and effective asthma control. I find that the Buteyko Institute Method
helps control asthma through simple breathing exercises and asthma education,
rather than medication. the method respects the doctor-patient relationship,
teaching patients to control their reliever medication, only stepping down
steroids under rather than medication. The method respects the doctor-patient
relationship, teaching patients to control their reliever medication, only
stepping down steroids under medical supervision. This is in line with accepted
'best practice' asthma management worldwide."
Doctor Anand, MBBS MRCGP, Newcastle upon Tyne, the UK
"Over the last two years I have examined many patients before and after the
[Buteyko] course and found the improvement to be repeatable to the degree that
patients in over 90% of cases can stop medical treatment, or reduce it to less
than half, of that, which was previously required. I attended the tutorials and
found the approach, tuition and the method to be responsible and safe. As a
medical doctor and Naturopath, I am impressed and surprised at the effectiveness
and safety of this natural approach..."
Doctor Paul Ameison, MBBS, MD, DAC, ND, the UK
"There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Buteyko Technique works,"
said Doctor Bob Cowie MD, resident Respirologist at the Foothills Hospital and
Manager of Calgary Buteyko Clinical Trial. "The results of this study shows it
is a wonderful adjunct to conventional treatment of Asthma. We had super results
that no one else has been able to match even with the best medication."
Doctor Bob Cowie, Calgary Trial of the Buteyko Method, Canada
"This study clearly demonstrates that teaching people with asthma to breathe
correctly with the Buteyko Institute Method provides significant improvements.
The Buteyko Institute Method will be the key in reducing patients' reliance on
their inhalers and helping people manage their asthma with significantly less
medication and feeling more in control of their condition."
Dr Jill McGowan, Nurse educator, Glasgow, Scotland
Recipient of Great Scot Award 2001, Pride of Britain Award 2002
"... My book, Every Breath You Take, was the result of six years of research
into the Buteyko Method and the results it has achieved for asthma sufferers.
The results are astonishing and suggest a direct link between our breathing
patterns and our level of health."
Doctor Paul Ameison, MBBS, MD, DAC, ND, the UK
"As lung specialists we know from clinical experience that even spending a
small amount of time teaching patients how to manage their condition and control
their breathing appropriately can reduce both the number of asthma attacks and
improve their quality of life."
Dr John Harvey Chair of the British Thoracic Society communications
committee, the UK
“This method was originally designed to help people overcome asthma, yet the
benefits extend to many different maladies. If you have asthma, snoring, sleep
apnea, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, chronic cough,
anxiety or panic, insomnia or any other stress-related condition, I would
encourage you to learn more about this. If it sounds a bit like snake oil, it’s
only because breathing, specifically poor breathing technique, is the
cornerstone to so many breathing disorders. Learning to breathe properly can
result in a dramatic improvement in your health and significantly reduce the
amount of medication used for chronic conditions.”
Dr. Larry Greenblatt, family and sports medicine physician, Issaquah, WA, New
Zealand
"Having heard remarkable reports from my patients who did the Buteyko course,
my son and I tried it out. I learned how to eliminate a migraine headache and my
son's asthma, made worse by cold and exercise was noticeably better just by
doing the exercises. At the six weeks follow-up everyone had made progress, e.g.
from asthma, fatigue from sleep problems, snoring, sleep apnoea, anxiety, panic
attacks and improvement in athletic performance. And there was a sense of
confidence that the exercises could continue to provide relief of symptoms. I
noticed my sleep quality was better too. I feel confident in recommending this
course to my patients who have asthma, sleep problems, anxiety and panic attacks
and sleep apnoea. I believe every health professional should experience the
course for themselves. The theory in itself is well worth hearing as it makes
sense and its practical application is the evidence of its efficacy. It's quite
possible that Buteyko breathing could have much wider health applications."
Anne O'Reilly MB BCh FRNZCGP, New Zealand
"I work in General Practice and the knowledge that I gained from Glenn’s
course has been invaluable to my understanding of some the health problems
presenting in the people I see. I cannot imagine practising medicine without the
understanding I now have of the impact of faulty breathing on health. I highly
recommend the Buteyko Course. It is very useful for asthma but also chronic hay
fever and snoring and has a role to play in the management of anxiety."
Mimi Irwin MBCHB, Dip Obs, D MF Homeopathy London, Fellow of the Royal New
Zealand College of General Practitioners, New Zealand
"Glenn has helped many of my patients and empowered them to move beyond their
asthma. With his Buteyko techniques they have been able to reduce inhaler use
significantly. He has been particularly successful with children – they love
Glenn's enthusiastic style. I have no hesitation in recommending Glenn and his
techniques to patients."
Graeme Kidd MBChB, FRNZC, GP Howick, New Zealand
"As a General Practitioner for twenty five years I have often been
dissatisfied with the disease control and quality of life achieved by my
asthmatic patients. The common thread despite their use of medication correctly
has been poor perception and attitude towards their illness, often with fear of
loss of control. All of my patients who have been referred to Buteyko have
returned with a much stronger attitude towards monitoring symptoms and
controlling their condition. This has for every patient resulted in much greater
self-confidence and improved enjoyment of life, often with reduced need for
medication, especially during exacerbations. I have found Glenn extremely
consultative about my patients, completely professional in his approach, and
especially co-operative about my recommendations for medication. At no time has
he suggested alteration to inhaler programmes without full consultation and I
have been impressed to find that his suggestions have invariably been wise
treatment changes. I therefore have complete confidence in referring my patients
to him for Buteyko teaching and enjoy their renewed enthusiasm for life and
control of their asthma."
Graeme F Washer MBChB, FRACS, New Zealand