Buteyko method

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The Buteyko method (also Buteiko method) is a complementary medicine method for the treatment of obstructive respiratory diseases such as asthma . It comes from the Soviet Union and is named after its founder, the doctor and scientist Konstantin Pawlowitsch Buteiko (English transcription: Buteyko ).

Buteyko developed his method back in the 1950s, but it was not until 1981 that Soviet authorities approved its use throughout the then Soviet Union . The Buteyko method first spread to Australia and New Zealand over time .

Development of asthma from Buteyko's point of view

Breathing regulates the acidity of the blood through the controlled release of carbon dioxide . Under normal breathing conditions, the red blood cells bind as much oxygen as they can. However, if you are hyperventilating (that is, breathing more than you really need to), you are not getting any more oxygen. Excessive breathing then leads to a lower blood content of carbon dioxide. Since the chemical products that the body produces and some physical functions depend on carbon dioxide, a lack of CO 2 leads to health problems. From a method perspective, overbreathing becomes a habit when one breathes excessively for a long period of time.

  • Carbon dioxide helps release oxygen by loosening its bond with hemoglobin . This physiological principle is known as the Bohr effect .
  • Low carbon dioxide concentrations promote spasms in the smooth muscles of the blood vessel walls , the bronchioles , in the intestines and in the bladder .
  • In asthmatics, the muscles of the bronchioles contract; the airways are irritated; an allergen or even a hearty laugh can cause a contraction. Buteyko believes that the airways react quickly to any further short-term increases in breathing. A stressful thought can already lead to a panic reaction of the airways.
  • In allergic asthma, the immune system has difficulty distinguishing between serious illness and foreign but harmless material. According to Buteyko, the immune system is weakened by the reduced carbon dioxide concentration, creating a vicious circle.

causes

Chronic stress in particular is seen by the followers of the method as an important cause of hyperventilation. Examples of this are stress at work, social stress, and financial worries.

Recommendations of Buteyko Therapy

It is assumed that chronic stress, which is always accompanied by chronic hyperventilation, leads to an adjustment of the respiratory center in the long run. The aim of the exercises is therefore to normalize breathing or to reset the breathing center. Elements of the method are consistent nasal breathing, relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, reduced breathing on the verge of hunger for air and extended breathing pauses. Recommendations, particularly for coping with stress, complement the method.

effectiveness

The results of a clinical study published in Australia in 1998 (Bowler et al., See below) showed that asthma sufferers who used this technique were able to reduce their use of anticonvulsant drugs by an average of 90 percent and their cortisone within three months - Reduce consumption by 49 percent. Despite lower drug consumption, the measured lung function values ​​did not deteriorate. Several other studies produced similar results.

In Germany , Buteyko therapy was first (2005) explicitly mentioned in the "National Asthma Care Guideline" as a measure with insufficient or undetectable effectiveness. However, it was described as effective in a later version of this guideline. It says there: "Especially for the Buteyko technique, a benefit in the form of a reduction in symptoms and bronchodilator consumption has been demonstrated in several studies [475-478]." . - The costs were still not reimbursed by the health insurance companies . However, since the 3rd edition (2018), the Buteyko method is no longer mentioned in the guideline.

The effectiveness of the method is usually explained by the fact that the increased carbon dioxide content due to a reduction in air exchange leads to a better oxygen supply via various mechanisms. This theory is considered too simple by critics. It can be assumed that the method also works through changes in nitrogen monoxide (NO) in the airways as well as through hypoxia training and other mechanisms.

literature

  • S. Bowler, A. Green, C. Mitchell: Buteyko breathing and asthma: a controlled trial. In: Medical Journal of Australia. Volume 169, December 1998, pp. 575-578.
  • Vladimir and Marina Buteyko: The Official Buteyko Theory. 2005. (PDF file; 932 kB)
  • S. Cooper, J. Oborne et al .: Effect of two breathing exercises (Buteyko and pranayama) in asthma: a randomized controlled trial. In: Thorax. 58 (8), Aug 2003, pp. 674-679.
  • R. Courtney, M. Cohen: Investigating the claims of Konstantin Buteyko, MD, Ph.D .: the relationship of breath holding time to end tidal CO2 and other proposed measures of dysfunctional breathing. In: J. Altern. Complement. Med. 14 (2), 2008, pp. 115-123.
  • R. Courtney: Strengths, weaknessess and possibilities of the Buteyko method. In: Biofeedback. 36 (2), 2008, pp. 59-63.
  • RL Cowie, DP Conley, MF Underwood, PG Reader: A randomized controlled trial of the Buteyko technique for asthma management. In: Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society. 3, 2006, p. A530.
  • VA Kazarinov: Buteyko Method: The experience of implementation in medical practice. The biochemical basis of KP Buteyko's theory of the diseases of deep respiration, editor: Buteyko KP; Patriot Press, Moscow 1990, pp. 198-218.
  • P. McHugh, F. Aitcheson et al .: Buteyko Breathing Technique for asthma: an effective intervention. In: New Zealand Medical Journal. 116 (1187), 2003, p. U710
  • Andrey Novozhilov, Victor Lunn-Rockliffe: Living Without Asthma: The Buteyko Method. Friedberg 2005, ISBN 3-9807945-9-8 .
  • AJ Opat, MM Cohen, MJ Bailey, MJ Abramson: A clinical trial of the Buteyko Breathing Technique in asthma as taught by a video. In: Journal of Asthma . 37 (7), 2000, pp. 557-564.
  • CA Slader, HK Reddel, LM Spencer, EG Belousova, CL Armor, SZ Bosnic-Anticevich, FCK Thien, CR Jenkins: A double-blind randomized controlled trial of two different breathing techniques in the management of asthma. In: Thorax. 61, 2006, pp. 651-656.

Secondary literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ German Medical Association, National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies, (Ed.): National Asthma Care Guideline Long Version . 1st edition, 1.0 version. 2005 ( leitlinien.de [PDF; accessed on June 21, 2020]).
  2. ↑ German Medical Association, National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies, (Ed.): National Asthma Care Guideline Long Version . 2nd edition, 5.0 version. 2013 ( leitlinien.de [PDF; accessed on June 21, 2020]).
  3. ↑ German Medical Association, National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies, (Ed.): National Asthma Care Guideline Long Version . 3rd edition, consultation version. 2018 ( leitlinien.de [PDF; accessed on June 21, 2020]).