What to do with Chronic Hyperventilation?
Chronic hyperventilation is the primary response of many individuals to ongoing elevated threat levels. This is a very widespread dysfunctional movement pattern. In the United States, 10% of the clients seen in general internal medicine practices have chronic hyperventilation listed as their primary diagnosis. Additionally, research indicates that there are 14 common symptoms responsible for over 50% of all primary care visits to physicians. In practice, only about 10% of these symptoms are found to come from an identifiable illness. Abdominal pain, chest pain, headache, and back pain are commonly found to be medically unexplained, and yet each of these symptoms is very commonly associated with chronic hyperventilation. When you recall that pain is one of the body’s threat responses, it is logical that hyperventilation can induce an increase in the threat response leading to widespread, but confusing, pain complaints. The signs of chronic hyperventilation mimic many other conditions so assessment is key. If a person sighs often, speaks rapidly, breathes arrhythmically, etc when under stress, hyperventilation may be part of the picture.
I am now offering breathing assessments where we will evaluate:
1. Arrhythmic Excursion Test
2. Paradoxical Breathing Test
3. The High-Low Test
4. Functional Inhalation/Exhalation Test
5. Breathing Wave Test
6. Breath-Holding Time
You will then be given breathing drills to address the
deficiencies that are detected.