Breathing A Sigh of Relief

Those with respiratory ailments know that having difficulty breathing takes the joy out of living, and in the extreme, takes life away. The good news is that there are ways to put respiratory illness into immediate remission, not just manage it with a lifetime of maintenance drugs. For 45 years, a physician in private practice has quietly done just that for over 5,000 patients.While in his residency, Harry H. Philibert, M.D., of Metairie, Louisiana, discovered an important link in the physiology and treatment of such ailments, the Infraspinatus muscle. He says the muscle, located at the shoulder blade, plays a decidedly autoimmune-related role that he calls the Infraspinatus Respiratory Response, or "I.R.R." While many of his patients are probably too short of breath to even repeat the name, most of them walk away from the treatment with a new lease on life. By treating the I.R.R., Dr. Philibert's therapy has successfully produced a remission of respiratory symptoms in a very short period of time, without the need for a lifetime of treatments.

Dr. Philibert's discovery came from an interesting correlation. He found that when he palpated (see Quick Definition) the infraspinatus muscle, pain was present in those afflicted with asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other obstructive respiratory diseases, while healthy people did not experience pain. Recognizing a dysfunction in a neuromuscular reflex, Dr. Philibert developed a type of neural therapy whereby he injects the muscle with lidocaine. He has never stopped refining his technique. Three years ago, at the age of 69, he studied other applications of neural therapy with Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, then traveled to China to deepen his knowledge of acupuncture.

This simple technique has demonstrated amazing results with chronic asthmatics who might otherwise be taking medication daily and shortening their lives. Symptoms of pneumonia disappear in days, and bronchitis clears in minutes. While chronic asthma takes a little longer to treat, there is usually an immediate reversal of the acute symptoms. Not surprisingly, the pain in the muscle is also gone.

Dr. Philibert shares the concern expressed by many people in alternative medicine that conventional treatments for respiratory illness, and especially for asthma, are not a cure and can contribute to debility, immune suppression, and even death. People are understandably afraid to try to wean themselves off their inhalers and other strong medicines that have become a lifeline in a sea of fear and desperation. But their physicians too often tell patients that they must use these medicines for the rest of their lives. Dr. Philibert, on the other hand, is one of those who emphasizes that people are more likely to die of the damage and debilitation caused by their medication than of asthma itself. Many of his patients were able to buy enough breathing time to manage well without medication. None of the patients receiving his treatment ever needed hospitalization for respiratory ailments.

During Dr. Philibert's treatment, the patient lies prone, with arms hanging over the sides of the exam table. A cushion can be placed under the chest. The muscle is palpated and if pain is present, the muscle is injected. (Most patients are unaware of pain or tenderness until the physician palpates the muscle.) After a few minutes, the muscle is palpated again. The procedure is repeated until the patient is free of pain. Typically each scapula is injected two or three times in a session, until all tenderness is gone. The absence of pain is the criterion for completion of a treatment session. Patients with chronic disease are seen every two weeks as needed. Some with an acute problem require only a single session or one follow-up.

Dr. Philibert uses a one-half percent lidocaine hydrochloride solution, sometimes diluting it with 1cc of a steroid called celestone. However, he says he obtains the same results with or without the steroid.

As part of the treatment, Dr. Philibert also uses an oximeter to measure the patient's ability to breathe to capacity. One patient with moderate asthma had an oximeter reading of 94, indicating the percent of normal breathing and oxygen intake. Upon injection of his I.R.R., he reached a reading of 99% in less than two minutes. In other cases, the results are even more dramatic, with the numbers rising from the severely debilitated range to the normal range during a single treatment.

Chronically ill patients with readings in the 60s and 70s develop normal range readings in the high 90s sometimes by the end of one session and consistently by the end of several.

Dr. Philibert has treated patients as young as three and as old as 98 with rapid success. Asthmatics who have suffered for decades, and have been completely dependent on inhalers and other medications, experience remission of their symptoms sometimes for months or years at a time after just a few treatments. Even when treatments are required for two or three months, this is a great boon compared to the daily doses of medicine, year after year, often for a lifetime.

Pneumonia patients responded even more quickly to the procedure. Many recovered within days, rather than the weeks it would normally take--and in the case of patients with compromised immune systems, a bout of pneumonia can be life-threatening, so shortening the healing time is critical. Some patients with bronchitis experienced a clearing of symptoms such as coughing and inflammation in less than an hour.

There is also the issue of the severe impact on quality of life experienced by people with chronic respiratory disease who often wake during the night needing medication in order to breathe, or must restrict their activities. Dr. Philibert's patients are able to reclaim lost energy, lost sleep, and lost parts of their lives.

Mildred D. was in a chronic state of respiratory distress when she saw Dr. Philibert. Peak flow meters showed that she had been breathing at 73% capacity, which Dr. Philibert describes as "almost inconsistent with living." Patients experiencing such hypoxia (shortage of oxygen) are likely candidates for a host of other physical and mental problems, as it is difficult to fight off infection or to think clearly. After the treatment, she had no wheeze. At the end of three months, there was a complete absence of pain and she had regained 98% of breathing capacity, well beyond her previously anticipated prognosis.

For four weeks Dorothy L., a doctor's wife, had been unable to stop her persistent coughing despite antibiotics and cough medications. Since her husband was attending one of Dr. Philibert's workshops, she accompanied him to learn about the treatment. Dr. Philibert examined and treated her that afternoon. The next day, her husband reported that she had been able to sleep all night without coughing for the first time in a month.

In a study of 25 asthmatics over a six-month period, all but one reported feeling better. Sixteen had dramatic improvements in their peak flow meter readings; seven felt that they were completely free of asthma; and about half of the subjects voluntarily stopped their inhaler use without any compromise to their improved status.

The author had tripped upon a similar response many years ago while struggling desperately with the breathlessness of asthma and with the difficulty of trying to stop using medications that were often worse than the illness. I found immediate relief from a number of methods that focused on the muscles close to the shoulder blades. Healing touch to this area could jump-start the system. Techniques such as massage or alternate hot and cold showers focused on that area of my back produced results in minutes. There is also a pressure point to the front, below the shoulder, which provides almost instantaneous relief (see illustration). Interestingly, this point, too, is painful to the touch during times of respiratory distress.

I was even able to use such methods before an asthma attack, during a phase I refer to as "pre-asthma," when one can recognize the more subtle signs of impending trouble. With the bronchials free of the constriction and phlegm that cause wheezing and gasping for breath, I was no longer dependent on inhalers, and soon was free of the whole syndrome.

Dr. Philibert recommends the use of antioxidants to improve his patients' overall health and manage their respiratory symptoms. He especially likes the results he sees from Microhydrin, a supplement taken in capsule form to super-oxygenate water. He recommends one capsule in eight ounces of water, up to three times a day to boost the system. (Microhydrin is easiest to obtain through the Internet: enter the name in any search engine.)

Dr. Philibert is not alone in recommending supplementation. Dr. Elson Haas, Director of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition, also recommends a program of supplementation for a return to health. He says that anti-inflammatory oils such as evening primrose oil provide a significant benefit for reversing the inflammation inherent in asthma and allergy. Any sufficient number of stresses (physical, environmental, emotional, mental) can lead to asthma for those so predisposed. But, says Dr. Haas, this predisposition can be kept at bay.

Vitamin C (which can be depleted by the steroid prednisone that may be prescribed for respiratory distress) is essential. It supports adrenal function, an important part of autonomic nervous system response to asthma and allergy, and also to stress. Some people respond well to raw glandular supplements including adrenal and thyroid. (The thyroid gland is often underactive in asthmatics.) Supplementing with minerals is also important. Many asthmatics are deficient in calcium and magnesium and trace minerals such as molybdenum. These play a vital role in relaxing the smooth muscles of the bronchi. Dr. Lita Lee, a licensed clinical nutritionist in Eugene, Oregon, and author of Alternative Medicine's The Enzyme Cure, also advises the use of enzymes that are typically deficient in asthmatics.

Other therapies have parallels to Dr. Philibert's discoveries, as well. Chiropractic is helpful for correcting structural and nerve obstructions (not unlike those found by Dr. Philibert). Yoga tonifies the nerves and muscles that relate to autonomic system functioning (again, remarkably similar to Dr. Philibert's understanding). Massage relieves tension around the shoulder blades. Acupuncture and acupressure in the scapular region also relieve obstructions and provide a vital flow of healing energy. Dr. Philibert notes that his neural therapy targets the area on the Infraspinatus muscle very close to the small intestine meridian acupuncture point SI 11 (see illustration). Other acupuncture treatments also relieve respiratory problems through relationships in the body not commonly known in conventional medicine.

Dr. Philibert does not claim that his protocol is a cure. Emotional problems, nutritional imbalances or a number of other factors can be the root cause of the condition, and should be addressed. Nevertheless, in most cases just one, two, or three sessions of I.R.R. treatment will provide complete remission for at least one year. Some of his patients have been in remission for five years and longer. Cure or not, allowing patients to breathe and freeing them from a lifetime of dependence on debilitating medications is nothing short of a blessing.

Dr. Philibert has taught his technique to approximately 3,000 other doctors, and offers periodic seminars. To obtain information contact Harry H. Philibert, M.D., 213 Live Oak, Metairie, Louisiana 70005. Tel: 504-837-2727.

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