Article - Dysautonomia and Breathwork

Yesterday The Atlantic published a long piece (linked below) about "Long COVID" patients, and briefly made the connection to CFS/ME and "Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome." Many of us on this forum knew that the Long COVID syndrome involved dysautonomia, but it looks like the mainstream medical community is catching on, finally.

Of particular interest to us is that this article shares the medical opinion that breathwork could be the key to resolving the dysautonomia in these patients. They describe how the shallow breathing that happens with COVID, even asymptomatic COVID (32% of people with Long COVID were asymptomatic) causes vagus nerve dysfunction, leading to more generalized nervous system dysregulation. Therefore the key to correcting the dysfunction is breathing practices designed to stimulate the vagus nerve. Since many doctors consider yoga breathing, breathwork, Wim Hof, and other breath-based practices to be fringe or frivolous, I thought it might be helpful to post this, since so many of us deal with nervous system dysfunction.

I believe it's important for everyone - Lyme or COVID or healthy - to be mindful of their breathing, especially in times of mental or physical stress, so as not to throw off their nervous systems. And of course so many other things can throw off our nervous systems, too, but it's good to note that breathwork might help correct the damage regardless of the cause. So I found this article validating, even if the glacial slowness of the medical industry is maddening.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/04/unlocking-the-mysteries-of-long-covid/618076/

I haven’t read the article yet, but I find what you posted very interesting. Even before I was knowingly sick, I felt like I didn’t breathe right. I actually remember mentioning it to my PCP at one of my annual appointments. I don’t remember her response.

Seriously, I have always felt like I didn’t breathe right. My nasal passages are better now than they used to be. When I was young, I had a really hard time breathing through my nose.

Some years before I stopped working, they painted and replaced the carpet. I felt like I held my breath all day for over a year. I am very affected by air quality. I think I always have been, even in childhood. I have never been in a pristine environment to breathe in. If I were, I expect all of my symptoms would slip away easily.

If you don’t have clean air to breathe, what effect will breathing exercises have? I wonder if my shallow breathing is a way my body is trying to protect itself with or without me. Of course, if I have had any of the infections since childhood, could they be creating the breathing abnormalities to protect themselves?

pots,

Sorry your PCP is that way. How frustrating. Autonomic nervous system affects automatic things like breathing, heartbeat, swallowing, and peristalsis. All of these were affected in my initial symptom presentation. It’s like something would randomly misfire. On second thought, I did have trouble walking, too, but it was a feeling I had in my head, like my marbles weren’t adjusted right. It wasn’t something the doctor could see.

These kind of doctors know absolutely zero
except whatever disease presentations they were taught in medical school. I don’t think most have the inclination or ability to connect dots or reason in their minds about anything. It’s all black or white. Medically obvious and identifiable or not medically accepted at all.

I'm considering going to this place. I've been hearing very good things. The conditions they mention are Fibromyalgia, EDS, and CRPS, but if you call them they tell you they can work on any central nervous system problem. As I outlined in my other post, it's all dysautonomia.

https://www.thesperoclinic.com

Post Edited (dcd2103) : 3/9/2021 11:48:10 AM (GMT-7)