Breathing Pattern Assessment and Treatment

NZDBC now offers breathing pattern assessment and treatment using the BradCliff Method© by their BradCliff-trained physiotherapist. At least one in ten New Zealanders, of all ages, will experience some form of breathing pattern disorder or chronic over-breathing at some stage in their lives. Breathing pattern disorders can alter the chemical balance of your blood and cause a wide variety of physical symptoms including:

Frequent sighing or yawning

Erratic heartbeats *

Upset gut/nausea

Chest pains *

Feelings of “air hunger”

Breathing discomfort *

Dizziness * or feeling “spaced out”

Feeling anxious and uptight

Clammy hands

Disturbed sleep

Twitches or tremors *

Irritability or hypervigilance

Tired all the time

Reflux or gastrointestinal upsets

* Check in with your doctor before seeing us if you feel any of these symptoms

Breathing pattern disorders can also be triggered by episodes of vertigo and we are well-placed here at NZDBC to assess and treat the causes of your symptoms if they are either vestibular or breathing related or both.

A full breathing assessment usually takes an hour and you will be taught how to correct your breathing by the end of this. After that people will usually be followed up for 3 or more sessions to ensure correct practice and progress your breathing into normal activity and functional positions. It can take up to 6 months to properly retrain your breathing pattern whereas it can become abnormal after only a few days of stress or a triggering event.