The Buteyko Method is named after a Professor by the name of Buteyko. After serving in the Russian armed forces, Professor Buteyko pursued a career in medicine and eventually found a correlation between the severity and prognosis of a patient's sickness when it comes to their breathing rates. He concluded that a patient's breathing rate increased as their condition deteriorated.

It's unknown exactly why the Buteyko Method works, but chronic hyperventilation probably has a role. The method assumes that respiratory illnesses are caused by illnesses which result in an individual habitually breathing excessive volumes of air.

The three main principles of the Buteyko method are nasal breathing, relaxation, and reduced breathing.

Nasal breathing - Breathing through the nose is very important according to the Buteyko Method. In addition to protecting the airways, breathing through the nose reduces one's tendency to hyperventilate.

Relaxation - By controlling the phase of over-breathing, asthmatics can often stop asthma attacks before they become severe. This method isn't a substitute for medical treatment, but it can minimize the chance of an attack becoming serious.

Reduced breathing - Nearly all of the exercises of this method involve slowed breathing. These are practiced regularly and are gradually phased out when a patient's condition improves.

There have been clinical studies on the Buteyko Method, and the common results which have been seen are both a reduction in symptoms of asthma and the need for reliever medication after 30-60 days. Also, a reduction of steroid medicine has been experiences but this takes a longer time to surface.