Can't or don't want Botox? Here's what else people try
Quick summary
- Only two treatments have published evidence for R-CPD: Botox, and (rarely) surgery. One case report adds hypnosis.
- But 120 people on r/noburp told us, in public posts, that they taught themselves to burp. Most learned to relax into the burp, often with an exercise like the Shaker head lift.
- These are patient reports, not studies. They're low risk for most people, and worth trying for a few weeks or months.
- If nothing changes, or your symptoms are hard to live with, Botox is the treatment with the best evidence.
Can you fix R-CPD without Botox?
Some people say they have. In public posts, 120 people on r/noburp say they now burp without Botox or surgery. Nobody has proven it in a study yet.
A 2026 review of R-CPD found that, apart from one case where hypnosis helped, there are no published case reports or series of resolving R-CPD other than with Botox injection or cricopharyngeal myotomy (opens in a new tab). A myotomy is an operation to cut the tight muscle.
But the same review says R-CPD is the object of intense social media traffic, including testimonials of effective biofeedback, exercises (opens in a new tab). The authors even think some fraction of those patients could have been 'taught to burp' without Botox (opens in a new tab). And they add: should behavioral therapy fail, there is always the Botox option (opens in a new tab).
So it's a real option to try, as long as you know it's not proven.
What worked for people on r/noburp?
We read public self-cure stories on r/noburp and counted what each person said helped. The most common answer wasn't one exercise. It was learning to relax and let the burp out when a gurgle came, often alongside an exercise or a change of position.
What helped, from 120 people who said they taught themselves to burp
Patient reports from r/noburp. Many people used more than one thing, so the numbers add up to more than 120.
How we counted
- We read public r/noburp posts and comments from 2014 to 2026: the 27 posts linked from the old self-cure megapost, plus self-cure threads we found with a web search (Reddit's own search wouldn't load for us). In all, we read 117 thread pages, with the comments each page showed.
- We only counted people who said they now burp regularly without Botox or surgery. Another 109 people said they got some tiny burps or felt better. We left those out of the numbers, along with Botox stories.
- We counted each person once, even if they posted more than once. If someone used three things, each of the three gets one count. So the numbers add up to more than 120.
- We grouped similar things together. For example, "focusing on the burp", "practising when the gurgle comes" and "relaxing my throat" all count as relaxing into the burp.
- AI helped us read and sort the posts, and we checked every quote word for word against the post. Every quote links to where it came from.
- Some things people credit, like gagging, alcohol or a one-off event, are in the list but don't get their own page, because we can't recommend them.
- Stories are not studies. People who tried something and it didn't work are much less likely to post about it.
The r/noburp community made its own count in an older "self-cure megapost". Its author read about 25 success posts:
| What they tried | Posts |
|---|---|
| Shaker exercise (head lift) | 10 |
| Focusing on burping, meditation, relaxing | 5 |
| Other exercise (back, chest, shoulders, yoga) | 5 |
| Working on the throat (massage, pressure, chiropractor, and some unsafe things like throat punching) | 5 |
| Medicines, alcohol or drugs | 4 |
| Side neck sit ups | 3 |
| Swallowing air, or an "air vomit" | 2 |
| Having another illness (acid reflux) | 1 |
| Diet (low FODMAP) | 1 |
Counted by the person who wrote the megapost (opens in a new tab) (saved copy on the Internet Archive), and copied into the r/noburp wiki (opens in a new tab). Patient reports, not a study.
What can I try?
Each page explains what it is, how people do it step by step, what they say, what the research says, and how to stay safe.
- Shaker exercise (head lift)Lie flat and lift your head to look at your toes. The exercise people mention most.23 of 120 people mention it
- Relaxing into the burpNotice the gurgle, relax your throat and let it come up. Don't force it.78 of 120 people mention it
- Side neck sit upsLie on your side and lift your head towards the ceiling. Often done with the Shaker.12 of 120 people mention it
- Throat massage and pressureGentle massage around the voice box. Never hitting or squeezing your neck.21 of 120 people mention it
- Back, chest, yoga and postureGym work, yoga, physio for the back, and sitting up straight.23 of 120 people mention it
- Fizzy drinks and positionsLying on your left side, chin tucks, head turns, and practising with a fizzy drink.47 of 120 people mention it
- Swallowing airA few people gulp air to practise. It can make bloating worse, so read the warnings.25 of 120 people mention it
- Diet: less gasLow FODMAP, fewer fizzy drinks, eating slowly. Can ease symptoms while you try other things.7 of 120 people mention it
- HypnosisThe only non-Botox, non-surgery case in the medical papers so far.Backed by one published case
- Speech therapy and physio (BERP)A therapist teaches you positions to let a burp out. Tested in a small study.7 of 120 people mention it
How long did it take people?
These are short quotes from people who say they taught themselves to burp.
Patient reports, not medical advice. Short quotes, linked to the original post. We leave out usernames.
How long should I try for?
Give it a fair go. An NHS leaflet for the Shaker head lift says to do it three times a day for at least six weeks (opens in a new tab). On r/noburp, people who say it worked often took a few weeks to a few months.
As one person who self-cured put it in a recent r/noburp thread, many people have had this condition for decades, so taking a few weeks or months to diligently work on a self cure isn't that long by comparison (opens in a new tab) (patient report).
When does Botox make more sense?
Self-help isn't for everyone. Botox may make more sense if:
- you've tried for two or three months and nothing has changed;
- your symptoms are hard to live with, like pain, a lot of bloating, gurgling that stops you going out, or painful hiccups;
- you want the option with the best evidence. In a study of 200 people, 99.5% could burp after treatment (opens in a new tab); a 2026 review puts the success rate at about 90% (opens in a new tab).
You don't have to choose one or the other. Some people keep doing their exercises while they wait for a referral. And if you've never seen a doctor about it, it's worth seeing your GP to check it really is R-CPD. Our GP letter tool can help, and Find a specialist lists UK doctors.
Where can I read more self-cure stories?
The best place is the r/noburp wiki. Its Self-Treatment section (opens in a new tab) collects self-cure tips from the community, with a link to the full megapost. Thank you to the r/noburp volunteer moderators, who keep the wiki and the community going.
r/noburp moderator karybrie also made the r/noburp world map of specialists (opens in a new tab), which lists doctors who treat R-CPD around the world (read about the map (opens in a new tab)). Thank you, karybrie!
Frequently asked questions
Can R-CPD go away without Botox?
120 people on r/noburp told us they taught themselves to burp, most often by learning to relax into the burp (patient reports). A 2026 review found no published reports (opens in a new tab) of R-CPD going away without Botox or surgery, apart from one hypnosis case.
What is the best exercise for R-CPD?
Nobody knows yet, because none have been tested for R-CPD. In our count of 120 people who self-cured, the most common thing was relaxing into the burp (78 people). The most common exercise was the Shaker head lift (23 people). These are patient reports.
How long does it take to teach yourself to burp?
People on r/noburp say anything from about two weeks to several months. An NHS leaflet for the Shaker exercise says to keep going for at least six weeks (opens in a new tab).
Is it safe to try self-cure techniques?
Most are gentle. Never punch or hit your throat, don't force air swallowing until it hurts, and stop if you feel dizzy. See your GP if your symptoms change.
Should I try self-help before Botox?
You can. The authors of a 2026 review say should behavioral therapy fail, there is always the Botox option (opens in a new tab). If your symptoms are bad, it's fine to go straight to your GP about treatment.
This is a free resource and not medical advice. Speak to your GP.
Sources
- Lehmann and Kahrilas 2026, narrative review (free full text) (opens in a new tab)
- Hoesli et al. 2020, OTO Open (free full text) (opens in a new tab)
- Anbar and Spence 2024, Am J Clin Hypn (opens in a new tab)
- Keltz et al. 2025, Laryngoscope (opens in a new tab)
- Kent Community Health NHS: Shaker exercises or head lifts (opens in a new tab)
- r/noburp wiki: Self-Treatment (opens in a new tab) (patient reports)
- r/noburp self-cure megapost (Internet Archive copy) (opens in a new tab) (patient reports)
- r/noburp world map of specialists, by karybrie (opens in a new tab)
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