The health benefits of the Buteyko Method training arise from the normalization of the patient’s breathing, the reduction in chronic hidden hyperventilation and other associated lifestyle changes taught on the full Buteyko programme.

The alternative way of understanding the impact of the Buteyko Method is to recognize the serious effect on our health of chronic hidden hyperventilation, inadequate physical exercise, unhealthy diets, poor sleep, persistent mouth breathing, over-use of drugs or alcohol, chronic stress from childhood to old age, over-eating etc. All these factors are addressed in the full Buteyko Method training.

After training patients will usually experience a general improvement in their health and well-being often as improved sleep, more energy, better digestion and eating habits, reduced reliance on medication, better concentration, less stress, as well as reduced symptoms of their presenting conditions.

Once trained every patient has the understanding to be re-empowered to improve their own health; the tools for this are there for life. This surely is the very best kind of health care?

As regards the cost to society of this approach, it is generally shown that there is a substantial cost saving year on year on drugs and medical interventions. With asthma alone the training costs are recouped in savings in just a few months.

For an increasingly financially strained western health service, the Buteyko Method made widely available, would release £ billions that could be better used to treat others needing more intensive medical intervention.