United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

http://www.windplayer.com/shop/BW955.html

spoke to a client who is a flutist - she has many children who are flutists and asthmatics and we talked at length about different exercises to do...

once I get the whole list together I will post...but for now, this book seems to be a real find

have any of you gone to the hospital for surgery and was given that thing you blow into and the ping pong ball has to go up? she said that this is a worthwhile purchase to make...

so here's some more links...

http://www.keepbreathin.com/
this one has a kid's video that you can see a couple of clips on

http://www.cyberjaz.com/szabo/breath.htm

http://www.breathing.com/programs.htm

http://www.authentic-breathing.com/brea ... rcises.htm
http://www.breath.org/breathing-exercises/
interesting - why breathing exercises might hold some danger

http://www.lungpower.com/

http://www.amerimark.com/cgi-bin/am1liv ... &optin=yes

of course - I think you'd have to show this to your kid's doctor - maybe there are contraindications for using something like this for your child??

http://www.srichinmoycentre.org/our_pat ... _exercises
[warning - religious input]

http://www.fourgates.com/Breath.asp
Dr. Andrew Weil has a book on breathing

http://www.allegromedical.com/Home/more ... 0&P=190080
post surgical breathing exercise - any of you have surgery and get this afterwards?

http://www.allergyasthmatech.com
portable nebulizer machines for travel - 3 kinds
- need to ask doctor first, "jet" nebulizer might be contraindicated with your child's particular medication I found out...

Mom On A Mission!
-francine

just want to say one more thing about this -- asthma is pretty complicated and very dangerous - so I wouldn't embark on any program or use any device without seeing a SPECIALIST first. (just like we tell everyone to go see a bpi specialist I believe we should take our kids to see a pulmonary specialist)

Remember that every child is different - in every way.

-francine

Peak flow meter...just learned that peak flow meter is used for large airway restriction and NOT for small airway restriction.... this is why it's good to see a specialist if you are considering this for your child. Spirometry (pulmonary function test) will determine what kind of restriction your child has.

Francine

One of the best things for breathing is swimming lessons... That is when you learn your stroke and also breathing skills...

When I was small my brother Pat taught me he was a swimming instructor in the Navy when I was very little... that helped a great deal with my breathing...

When my son had so many problems with Asthma the doctor suggested I put him into swimming for better exercise and breath control... well I did and at 5 he was seated swimmer... LOL... but he really had better breath control and got a great deal of exercise without having an asthma attack - Lacrosse was not as easy... but he knew how to breath properly by then ad did well without too much medicine...

Kath

I hope you don't mind me mentioning here that breathing difficulties arising from phrenic nerve damage are physiologically different from those caused byasthma. Sometimes, the symptoms are very similar and it can be confusing and difficult to tell what is causing the difficulties, particularly in very young children. It is )vitally important that the child is diagnosed properly and treated correctly; a child could mistakenly be given uneccessary doses of asthma medicines most of which contain high levels of steroids.

(Francine: I'm not aiming these comments at you...I know that you will research this fully where Maia is concerned before you embark on a course of treatment for her; I felt it needed to be posted somewhere to try and prevent any confusion over this. I write from personal experience; I have quite severe phrenic nerve damage and my grandaughter has chronic asthma; sometimes we show the same symptoms, but the treatment of these is vastly different even taking into account our difference in age. Coincidently, I am seeing my Pulmonary specialist next week...I will ask him a few more questions and let you know the outcome...Liz

Hi Liz
this is a very valid point, and speaking as a parent of a child with phrenic nerve damage, I am so pleased you have made it. I have NEVER believed that Gavin Has got asthma and in fact although he has inhalers I MUST say that they don't really help the problem so I don't "enforce" him taking them for his symptoms (this is just my child, I can't speak for others) because they don't make any difference.
Since he was about 2 if his lung function is poor ( it's usually in the summer or after a bad cold his symptoms are that when he starts to speak, he can't finish the word, it's quite hard to describe and none of the specialists we have seen have ever really listened to me about this. He can say the first part of a word or sentence, but it's just like he runs out of breath whilst he's speaking.
But of course, the doctors just call it asthma and treat me like I am a neurotic mother - which I am of course LOL
Now I make sure he always takes his anti-histamines in summer ( he has REALLY severe hayfever) and keep an eye on him and at the first sign of trouble we go off to the hospital.
good thread this one.

Hi liz - thanks for the input - you did notice that I said "go to a specialist" quite a few times right??

We're going back to our specialist in a month - Maia had had enough in the last 4 hour visit...and now I have new questions formulated.

Can you tell me the physiological differences between asthma and phrenic nerve damage?

He said that her diaphragm was weak - but he also said that she has small airway restriction (not large airway restriction) - so it is the lung itself that is compromised.

Liz - tell me what you know ok? I have to be more educated before we go to our next visit.

Thanks!
-francine

Francine..I will get back to you on this..I am seeing my Doc. next wednesday and if I can pin him down long enough (you know the good ol' NHS!) I have a mass of questions to ask, for myself and others who have this particular nerve damage.

Also, my partners mum was a practice nurse for many years before she retired and part of her duties included setting up and running the local asthma clinic. She still gets updates and literature sent to her about the latest treatments for asthma in the UK...very useful!!

Liz

Francine,
Thanks for posting all of those links. I found them very useful. I have asthma and Hannah may have it, but we aren't positive yet.
Thank you again!
Krista