Candida Doyle, 37, is the keyboard player for Pulp and believes a special breathing technique called Buteyko has eased the pain of her rheumatoid arthritis.

The method regulates oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood through breath control. Candida says "I've had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 16. The joints around my knees, feet, and wrists become sore and inflamed and are less mobile. Medication has nasty side-effects. I discovered the Buteyko technique in a book on breathing. It claimed to improve health problems from asthma to a weak immune system, so I thought I'd give it a go."

"The first thing the book advised was to breathe and sleep with your mouth shut, which I did for five days. Somehow, I began feeling better and decided to go on a special course which taught the technique properly. We learnt special exercises where you breathe out and hold your breath as long as possible, then breathe in a shallow, controlled way into the chest. Now I find myself sleeping better and in less pain. My energy levels have increased and my skin is better."

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