Breathing Techniques to Get Through a Crohn's Flare-up

At the top of my wish list is a white wooden lawn chair just like my parents had in our backyard in Ohio.

It's the place I most associate with relaxing to the point of getting drowsy during lazy summer evenings. Even the mosquitoes were too laid back to bite. Unfortunately, I don't have space for a lawn chain in my tiny townhouse yard.

Breathing techniques for patients who suffer from Crohn's disease have relaxation as their primary goal. Reducing pain is another.

These techniques can make a monumental difference in the way someone feels during two different aspects of a Crohn's flare:

Wear and tear: This is the term I use to refer to a flare overall. Patients report all kinds of symptoms, from diarrhea and blood in the stool to joint pains and fever and depression. Whatever the symptoms, they create a feeling that the illness is out of control.

Once we enter into a flare, we sense our bodies have let us down. We thought the medications would work, but here we are. Recreational plans get cancelled; the gastroenterologist gets a call. We might miss some work, and our bodies demand extra rest.

What this translates into - beyond disappointment and even panic - is just plain stress.

There are several breathing techniques that can help you relax during a Crohn's flare. You can best accomplish then when wearing loose clothing and reclining in your favorite comfortable chair or sofa.

The simplest technique is inhalation-slow exhalation breathing. You pull in as much air as you can and release it slowly, counting to 10 as you exhale. Repeat this until you feel a sense of relaxation. You will gain more control of your breathing with practice, and you might even feel your blood pressure falling.

A second technique involves focused imagery. Pick a word that creates a pleasant mental picture, for example, beach. Then form a mental picture of a pleasant scene related to the word. Some Crohn's patients rotate several words and scenes. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the scene. When you feel calm, slowly open your eyes and resume activity.