Osteopathic treatment of asthma patients has no weird and wonderful secrets, it relates back to fundamental principles of structure and function being interrelated.
If you try to breath whilst hunched up with your chin on your chest and slumped forward, it’s difficult isn’t it? Asthma suffers face this battle for fresh air at a mild level all of the time, and at an extreme level during an asthmatic attack.
Osteopathic adjustment of the mechanics of breathing by loosening your rib cage, reducing the tone in the muscles of your upper chest and neck, ensuring that your diaphragm (principle breathing muscle in your tummy) is freely able to work, and rebalancing the nervous system that controls the width of your airways and how much mucous is inside them, can really help with your ability to breathe normally and break into the vicious circle of hyperventilation leading to full asthma attacks.
Many of our patients have received great benefits from a course of osteopathy, and once you have a good understanding of why asthma might be being maintained by the shape and action of your musculoskeletal and nervous system, then it often becomes clear as to what you can do by exercise and posture to build on the good work of your osteopath.
It is well known that environmental factors and nutrition are linked to asthma and these will be discussed with you, giving you lots of useful hints and tips to take on board, all whilst ensuring that your normal medications are not interfered with, without consultation with your GP or asthma specialist.
As with all osteopathic treatments at The Family Osteopath, a gentle and steady approach is provided with your best care being our goal at all times.