Functional Airway Lab offers specialized breathing retraining combining speech-language pathology and functional breathing science. This is not generic coaching — it is clinical, individualized, and built around the demands of your sport.
targeted treatment for exercise-induced breathing disorders
clinical breathing retraining
services We offer
clinical Breathing Retraining
We offer structured, science-based treatment for athletes with exercise-induced breathing disorders. Every program is individualized to your specific condition, your sport, and how your breathing behaves under real exercise load.
Exercise-Induced Laryngeal Obstruction/Vocal Cord Dysfunction
Inappropriate vocal fold closure during peak exercise — an often misdiagnosed breathing condition in athletes.
EILO
Conditions we treat
Breathing Pattern Disorder
Dysregulated breathing mechanics that limit performance, often co-occurring with EILO and EIB.
BPD
Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction
EIB
Airway narrowing triggered by exercise, addressed primarily through medical management and breathing retraining.
This dimension focuses on improving tolerance to breathlessness, calming the stress response, and restoring confidence in your breathing.
Psychophysiological
This dimension focuses on breathing mechanics and how your diaphragm, ribs, posture, and airway work together.
Biomechanical
Efficient breathing depends on healthy carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels, which allow oxygen to be delivered from the blood into your muscles, brain, and tissues.
The three Dimensions of Breathing
Breathing retraining addresses the three interconnected dimensions of breathing because optimal breathing isn't just about taking bigger breaths. It's about how you breathe, how your body uses oxygen, and how your nervous system responds to your breathing.
biochemical
why does this matter?
Breathing retraining involves addressing all three dimensions together to restore calm, efficient breathing at rest, during exercise, and in daily life.
The Outcome?
OUR PROCESS
At Functional Airway Lab, breathing is not addressed with generic cues or one-size-fits-all exercises. Our process is structured, progressive, and grounded in how breathing performs under real athletic demand.
1
Clinical assessment
We begin with a detailed evaluation of breathing mechanics, symptom patterns, and airway behavior during exercise. This allows us to identify the specific triggers of breathing limitation.
2
Targeted intervention
Based on our clinical findings, we implement individualized strategies and exercises to improve airway control, reduce maladaptive patterns, and restore efficient breathing under load.
3
Skill development
Breathing is retrained in progressively more demanding conditions — moving from controlled environments to sport-specific intensity — so changes translate directly to performance.
4
We align breathing strategies with the athlete’s training schedule, ensuring consistency, carryover, and minimal disruption to performance routines.
Integration with Training
5
Measurable progression
Athletes track objective and subjective changes in symptoms, tolerance, and performance — building confidence as breathing becomes more reliable.
A STRUCTURED APPROACH TO RETRAINING YOUR BREATHING
6
collaboration
We coordinate directly with your physicians, trainers, coaches, and other disciplines — sharing clinical findings, communicating progress, and ensuring your care is fully joined up across every specialist involved in your treatment.
1 / 4
Words cannot express the gratitude I have for Karie and the amazing work she has done with my daughter. My daughter had been diagnosed with exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO), and, as a national caliber runner, this was very distressing to deal with - her performances were being affected, and the stakes felt high with her dreams of running at a D1 program in college. We had already been to a speech pathologist, which had been helpful, but still left my daughter with many symptoms to deal with, especially during intense training sessions. The difference between the first speech pathologist and Karie was night and day. Karie is at the forefront of research and took a cutting-edge and innovative approach with my daughter. She is also a great educator and takes the time to explain the diagnosis and her methods, which made the process very approachable for my daughter. The results were remarkable! My daughter improved rapidly, ran all of her races with zero breathing issues, and had amazing performances to match! She is in control of her symptoms now and no longer fears hard workouts or races, knowing she has the tools she needs. I can't thank Karie enough - she helped my daughter bring back her joy and confidence in running and life as an athlete!
Client Outcomes
2/4
I began to see Karie after experiencing some difficulties when training to swim distance butterfly. My throat would feel like it was closing, and I learned from Karie that I needed to strengthen my breathing. She gave me exercises to practice, and we met online every week to check on my progress. Gradually, I would get the throat-closing feeling less often, and I stopped having to cough during butterfly. I could finally build stamina properly. Within a couple of months I was able to qualify for age group state championships for 200 fly. Without Karie, I wouldn’t have been able to swim a distance that far without struggling. Now, I can swim confidently without the risk of aggravating my throat. Karie has been extremely kind, patient, and understanding, and her help means so much to me!
Client Outcomes
3/4
For a years I experienced shortness of breath while running. I was initially diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma, but my symptoms did not resolve with the use of my rescue inhaler. When I learned more about the symptoms of EILO, I realized this is likely what I was dealing with. After working with Karie for a few weeks, I saw a significant change in my symptoms. I was no longer straining to breathe during my workouts. I am so grateful for Karie's patience and guidance. She helped me to return to running with confidence and a renewed passion.
Client Outcomes
4/4
I've had an incredible experience working with Karie. Before starting, I didn't realize how my breathing was holding me back, especially while running. One of the biggest breakthroughs for me was re-establishing nasal breathing. At first, it felt challenging, but with consistent practice and Karie's coaching, it became more natural, and the impact on my performance was huge. My tempo runs feel smoother, more controlled, and overall much easier than before. Karie has a great way of explaining the techniques and making them practical to apply in real training situations. I've not only seen improvements in performance, but in how calm and efficient my breathing feels day-to-day. I highly recommend Karie to anyone looking to improve their endurance, breathing efficiency, and performance.
Client Outcomes
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
Educational Library
Contact
Services
About
Home
Pages
Contact
4532 Telephone Rd.
Suite 114
Ventura, CA 93003
Functional Airway Lab
(805) 754-7768
karie@functionalairwaylab.com
EILO/VCD