What Capnometry Biofeedback Technology Looks Like and Measures

In a follow up to my last video discussing the potency of Capnometry biofeedback technology for assessing and retraining client’s breathing, I discuss what this technology measures and what you will see on the screen as you are being measured.

Firstly, Capnometry is measuring the volume of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air that you are exhaling. In hospitals it is used to monitor a patient’s breathing, especially if they are unconscious or have undergone an anaesthetic or are in a coma. The graph starts to curve upwards at the beginning of exhalation (with a slight delay) as CO2 increases, and it curves downwards as exhalation ceases (again, with a slight delay).

The technology provides 2 measurements which give us great information on breathing efficiency for assessment and training:

1. Breathing rate per minute – ideally 8-10 bpm in adults at rest.

2. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) – ideally 40mmHg. This is a measurement of the volume of CO2 in the lungs at the end of exhalation. This ETCO2 is essential for respiratory efficiency as it acts as a reservoir of CO2 that permeates back into the blood stream to maintain ideal levels of arterial CO2, which plays a major role in allowing the passage of oxygen from the air we inhale in the lungs, to the cells of the body for energy production. This process is based on the principles of the Bohr Effect and discussed in my last video/post. However, in short, without sufficient arterial CO2 levels. this process is impaired and we produce insufficient amounts of energy, which can lead to fatigue and many other symptoms of illness, including asthma, breathing difficulties, anxiety, sinusitis, snoring & sleep apnoea, headaches & migraines, memory problems, cognitive disturbance etc.

The beauty of this technique is that not only is it fantastic as an assessment of breathing efficiency (non-diagnostic), for breathing retraining it provides in the moment feedback about the efficacy of techniques and rhythms we implement to improve a client’s breathing to ideal, or optimal levels.

As such, we are able to find the best techniques and rhythms specific to each client, and therefore provide them with a specific, individualised breathing retraining program to remove symptoms of illness, improve quality of life and sleep, give them greater energy levels and relaxation, and improve performance.

Breathing as a function, and modality of health is as important and nutrition and exercise. In fact, it is more central than both of these, so it certainly should not be ignored, neglected, or taken for granted (as most of us do).

If you’d like your breathing assessed and to work out an ideal retraining program for your breathing, contact me via me website, www.timaltman.com.au, or email tim@timaltman.com.au.

Video: Capnometry Biofeedback Technology is Super Potent for Clinical Assessment & Training of Breathing.

After learning extensively about the science of breathing, and techniques for optimising breathing, implementing biofeedback technology called Capnometry, which us used in hospitals to monitor patients breathing, into my clinical work with breathing has seen my understanding of breathing function, and the best techniques for retraining breathing function to optimal levels skyrocket.

In clinic this technology is highly effective for assessing the efficiency of a client’s breathing based on breathing rate per minute (ideally 8-10 bpm), and end tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2), or the amount of CO2 in the lungs at the end of exhalation (ideally at least 40mmHg).

The body regulates breathing based on arterial levels of CO2 predominantly, rather than arterial oxygen (O2). This is because the challenge with breathing is not getting enough oxygen in. We have heaps. In fact, at rest, we utilise less than one quarter of the O2 we inhale (the rest is exhaled), and we have heaps of oxygen stores in our blood stream (known as oxygen saturation levels, which are typically 97-99%).

The challenge is actually getting the oxygen we have in our blood stream, or that we inhale, into our cells for energy production (the main purpose of breathing). If we fail to do this, the consequences are fatal. CO2 plays a major role in this process. Rather than being a waste gas that we completely exhale, we store CO2 (as there’s only 0.03% in atmospheric air, so we can’t rely on this) as it is the limiting factor in determining breathing efficiency,

Based on the principles of the Bohr Effect, CO2 facilitates the passage of oxygen from our lungs to our cells for energy production. If CO2 levels are too low, we simply don’t get enough oxygen to our cells, so energy production is impaired, and survival is threatened. Conversely, if CO2 levels are too high, it upsets respiratory balance, and our body will increase breathing rate and volume to reduce levels. In order to maintain sufficient CO2 levels, our body stores CO2 in our lungs at the end of exhalation, known as end-tidal CO2, which then permeates back into the blood stream to maintain respiratory balance.

We definitely should not fully exhale all of the air in our lungs in order to maintain respiratory balance (at rest) – the exhale is simply a recoil of the diaphragm and lungs.

Unfortunately, without realising it, the vast majority of us breathe nowhere near ideal efficiency- we breathe twice as often as we should and with far too much volume.

This adversely affects our arterial CO2 levels, and therefore the balance in our respiratory system, and ultimately energy production. The consequence of this long term is that our body starts to produce symptoms of illness as a result of the body’s attempt to compensate for this inefficiency and restore balance. These symptoms include difficulties in breathing & asthma, anxiety, sinusitis, snoring & sleep apnoea, fatigue, digestive complaints, headaches & migraines, ADHD and many more.

Therefore this biofeedback technology is fantastic for assessing respiratory efficiency, and also in implementing techniques and rhythms to retrain breathing back to ideal, or functional levels. In so doing, with regular practice, clients experience greater energy levels, relaxation, and reduced symptoms of illness.

In addition, as clients can see significant differences on a screen of their baseline breathing efficiency and when they introduce optimal breathing techniques, so compliance of clients to their at home breath training improves significantly also.

Finally, as a result of measuring and observing the breathing of thousands of clients over the years, my understanding of breathing function and ideal techniques has grown exponentially.

If you’d like to have your breathing efficiency assessed , or learn how to breathe optimally, please contact me for a one on one clinic  appointment, or inline consultation.

Let Your Body Teach You How to Breathe Optimally Using Biofeedback

CapnoTrainer® Biofeedback Technology

Capnometry is the science of measuring partial pressure of carbon dioxide, CO2 (PCO2), during respiration. This is not new technology. It has been used extensively in hospital operating theatres and ICU’s. Because of the vital role of CO2 in respiration (see The Bohr Effect) and in blood chemistry (especially maintenance of correct blood pH), it is a medical necessity to monitor CO2 to ensure that they remain are in the correct ranges for maintenance of  ideal functioning of the body. The CapnoTrainer® is a small and highly portable capnometer that, via software provides real time information on breathing efficiency.

The CapnoTrainer® provides for a continuous measurement of PCO2 while breathing. As there is only 0.03% CO2 in atmospheric air we breathe it reads effectively “zero” on inhalation. During the exhalation it rises sharply to the average level of PCO2 in the alveoli of the lungs, rising very slowly during the transition from exhale to inhale (alveolar plateau), and eventually reaching a peak immediately prior to the next inhale. This peak is known as the End Tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2). The waveform is represented via a live graph on a computer screen is known as a Capnogram. See below.

Better_breathing_applications_chart

ETCO2 in people with healthy lungs and a healthy cardiovascular system is highly correlated with the arterial partial pressure CO2 (PaCO2).

As previously mentioned The Bohr Effect states: “the lower the partial pressure of CO in arterial blood, the tighter the bond (or the greater the affinity) between haemoglobin and oxygen”.  So PaCO2 is the limiting factor in breathing efficiency. It will determine how efficiently the oxygen we breathe is released from our blood to our cells for energy production. The minimal PaCO2 required for optimal respiration and release of O2 into cellular tissue for energy production is 40mmHg.

ETCO2 measurements on the CapnoTrainer will give an immediate look at the efficiency of an individual’s breathing based on the principles of The Bohr Effect. Less than optimal efficiency of breathing can lead to a multitude of symptoms as a result of the body’s need to compensate for this reduced functioning. These compensations include hypoxia (reduced oxygen supply) in cellular tissue, constriction or spasm in smooth muscle and excessive mucous production. And apnoea.

Respiratory rate is also obtained through measurement of the time between the end tidal peaks (diagnostic norms for breathing rate at rest are 8-10 breaths per minute). The averages of both respiratory rate and ETCO2 are plotted on a history graph for real time review.

The CapnoTrainer® provides immediate and first hand biofeedback information to the observer about air flow and breathing efficiency. Gasping and other breathing irregularities can immediately be seen.

Not only does the CapnoTrainer® measure breathing efficiency potentially in a variety of situations or circumstances (due to its great portability), it is also a fantastic tool to train an individual to improve their breathing efficiency. The CapnoTrainer® software offers a number of training tools to improve breathing efficiency. It can also be used as a measurement to verify the effectiveness of training interventions being performed by an experienced breathing practitioner or trainer.

CapnoTraining® can be used to improve breathing efficiency to treat a number of ailments, as a preventative measure to prevent anxiety, asthma, snoring etc. or as a means of enhancing performance with athletes, artists and business professionals.

I have used Capnometry to assess and retrain breathing for many years and find it an essential and fantastic means of retraining client’s breathing to alleviate symptoms and ailments, and to perform at greater levels.

It simple, quick and mobile. Contact me if you like to investigate further.