I was at a conference at Portsmouth University. There was an asthma consultant there who spoke on drugs. I commented on the tight rib muscles and tight lower muscles I had seen in asthma sufferers.
The asthma consultant said that he sent some asthma sufferers for breathing physiotherapy. This improved their their function so much that the asthma no longer presented a problem.
Thought I would mention this. I unfortunately have no further details.
Hi. Thank you for posting this and bringing it to people's attention. I had breathing physiotherapy for my asthma and it definitely helped. I was referred by my doctor but I've since found out that you can self refer just as you can with any other physiotherapy. It's good to know that asthma consultants are sending people for it.
Now that I remember, when I first started with asthma in my teens, I was sent for breathing exercises. Main thing I learned was how to breathe OUT! (sit on upright chair, bend over as you exhale as far as you can.) General idea is to get rid of all the old stuff before taking more in.
I realy must get around to try it again...
Thanks for your comments. That sounds just like me so I will see if I can get some psychotherapy.
This is interesting, thanks. Does anyone know what sort of breathing (or other) exercises may be helpful for a child with asthma?
Learn to play a wind instrument.
To play an instrument such as trumpet, flute, recorder etc requires fine breathe control. When I was at school 50 years ago I knew people with unnoticeable asthma playing a flute.
Swimming was always recommended in the past, but any exercise, as long as it doesn't bring on the asthma, is a good idea. I used to play badminton as it needs short bursts of running, rather than the consistent exercise track running needs. As long as it makes you breathe deeply, it's good.
In my teens, swimming was recommended (I never learned). Found that chlorine in water did me no good at all.
I second the suggestions of swimming and playing a wind instrument. You are ‘forced’ to breathe properly, deeply and in a controlled manner in both instances. According to my asthma nurse this help with lung volume.
I've had physio for breathing quite a bit (including Buteyko). It is helpful for bad habits that you can pick up but has not made a huge difference. I played the oboe starting shortly after being diagnosed with mild asthma as a child, plus have been singing in choirs since I was about 5 including after I developed much worse asthma as an adult. I would say it does probably help but as with physio, don't expect a magic cure necessarily! In my case my peak flow and spirometry are much better than predicted and that may help me from being even worse, but it doesn't stop me having severe attacks (and I will still have not awful peak flow even when ABG is bad!)
Always worth a try though as you'll probably enjoy the singing/playing eveb if it doesn't cure! I think there is certainly evidence for that and physio being s bit help potentially but just wanted to say it will vary between people in how much it helps, even if you engage fully ans do all the exercises etc.
Thanks for the reply. You right about the "not a magic cure". There is no cure only management.
Questions: 1 did you learn on breathing and not tightening the inner airways?
2 did the physio loosen the rib muscles by using subtle stretching movements?
2): yes I have had that (rib muscles), cannot remember when specifically. Helps to some extent but has not changed the overall course, just helped day to day.
1) sorry not sure what you mean by that? I did learn breathing techniques yes which stopped me getting bad habits which can make asthma worse. However they did not again manage to do a huge amount for the underlying cause.
Thanks for the reply.
Liked "2" answer.
1) Wish I could explain better. Trouble with my language ability. I am going to have to some serious thinking on this. One result of this is to breathe without being able to hear yourself breathing when doing an activity.
Your are right no cure, but did have a small helping effect which improved things a little in the quality of life department.
Thank you. I am convinced exercise helps but hadn't thought about a wind instrument or singing. Definitely something to try! 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for the info. After a particularly bad bout of asthma and flu that lasted months, I felt very stiff in the chest area. I went to my chiropractor who works on muscles, tendons and the spine and after he worked on me for a half an hour, I felt much better. I had to go a few times to be completely back to normal but the tension of the bad asthma and chest infection had certainly affected my back and ribs and I was grateful that I had someone who could help.
Hi,
I've Googled him and the the college of chiropractic that he founded and his style of chiropractic seems very similar to my chiropractor. I've moved cities but I drive an hour and a quarter on the motorway to get to mine. He's the only one who has ever been able to fix my knees. He works on the tendons first. It would take ages to go through everything he has helped me with over the years.
Hi johnsmith,
Saw my chiropractor today and told him about the McTimoney style of chiropractic. He had heard that there were chiros doing work similar to his in Melbourne. He can now check it out and maybe contact them - so thank you.
Just checked out the mctimoney chiropractor set up and it has been banned as bogus.
Can you give me the website details concerning banned as bogus. Some treatments were not allowed to be advertised because of no trial data to show effectiveness. The cost of a trial to show effectiveness is about million pounds. No chiropractor organisation has the money to conduct a trial of this cost.
Simon Singh worked out an effective way to attack chiropractors using trading standards because of the inability of chiropractic to spend lots of money to do trials.
The statutory regulator in the UK is the General Chiropractic Council (GCC) and it is illegal to practise as a chiropractor without being registered with the GCC. McTimoney style of chiropractic is registered with the GCC. Hence they cannot be bogus.
There are issues with what the word treatment means. Asthma a condition which concerns inflammation is treated using drug therapy, However, the breathing system depends on many factors to work effectively. Drug therapy cannot treat these factors. Physical therapies can help reduce stresses that cause breathing system overload and hence produce better functioning of the breathing system. Many members of the medical profession do not recognise the concept of stress breakdown point or have any knowledge of feedback mechanisms.
Drugs for treating asthma are produced by pharmaceutical companies. They have the money to do a trial on a drug because they can get the money back through drug sales.
McTimoney style of chiropractic is relatively young compared to the long established schools of chiropractic.
I have had McTimoney chiropractic on the NHS since 1994. The NHS will not pay for a bogus medical practice.
"tight muscles around the abdominal area" could cause breathing issues.
Treatment by a therapist using physical methods relies on hand sensitivity. This is a variable quantity.
WOW that freaked me out as I have always got tight muscles around the abdominal area. I used to work those muscles massively before I had breathing issues. Sometimes I massage them just for relief. Thanks. Any more info would be really useful.
Unusual Asthma Triggers
Asthma remission for 6 months
Asthma not well controlled 
Late onset asthma confusion 
