The conventional protocols in the treatment of Asthma are well understood and well covered elsewhere, but what do I do when I receive a patient who wants to follow a more empowered path for themselves or their children? This usually occurs either after the first signs of the condition appear and the person wants to avoid getting into the medication trap, or the patient has spent years on increasing amounts of conventional medications and wants to find a method of treatment with a better outcome.

The first thing I do as a Homeopath is take a case – meaning I try to find out as much as possible about the condition as it is represented in This patient. I need to know what in the patients’ inheritance, behaviour or environment may be contributing to the situation and from this data I would choose an individualized Homeopathic remedy and treatment protocol. This is about as difficult as it sounds but gets easier with experience!

I do not normally advise any changes to a patient’s conventional medication at this point. (This part of the process is a given, regardless of the condition, but for the purposes of this article it is the other tools available to the average person that are interesting.)

First of the Foods or Nutrients that are of benefit in this inflammatory condition is the supreme anti-inflammatory: EPA/DHA, otherwise known as Omega 3 - actually a very specific form of Omega 3 and best sourced from cold water fish. Get a good one, I recommend EPA/DHA 720 by Metagenics. Add to this a healthy intake of Tumeric - or at least the Curcuminoids that it contains - and Ginger, both excellent anti-inflammatories among their other benefits.

Avoid pro-inflammatory foods such as trans-fatty acids (fried foods/biscuits), sugar and highly refined grains, specifically wheat. In general, increase intake of plant proteins and reduce animal proteins, particularly red meats.

The Power tool is, however, Control of one’s own breath. I present my patients with a very simplified form of the Buteyko Method, a well-established, well-researched system with proven benefits. It is a technique easily picked up by children and adults due to its simplicity and the results are remarkable. The theory is based on the known biochemical effects of Carbon Dioxide on the smooth muscle of the alveoli of the lungs – the higher the relative CO2 concentration the more the smooth muscle relaxes…it has no choice; the implications of this for an asthma sufferer are obvious. The Buteyko method has been used to treat Asthma, COPD, Sleep Apnoea, Panic and Snoring (the Russians also use it for Hypertension and Cardiac disorders and I have made it part of my Fertility treatment program for the last 12 yrs).

I can give a simple demonstration in my rooms for those interested in exploring this method.

Please feel free to contact me on bruce@health202.co.za or via my practice contact details if you have any questions on the above or if you have other useful suggestions for the drug free treatment of asthma.

Dr Bruce Thomson