Relaxing into the burp
Quick summary
- Lots of people who taught themselves to burp say the key was to relax and let it happen, not to push.
- The idea is to notice a gurgle, then relax your throat and help the air up with your tummy muscles.
- A 2026 review describes the same ideas from patients online. It hasn't been tested in a study yet.
What does "relaxing into the burp" mean?
With R-CPD, the ring of muscle at the top of your food pipe stays tight when air tries to come up. Many people notice a gurgle or a croak when this happens. "Relaxing into the burp" means using that moment. Instead of tensing up, you relax your throat and give the air a gentle push from below.
A 2026 review looked at what patients share online. It says the main ideas of "burp training" are to learn to coordinate that opening with either spontaneous gurgling (opens in a new tab) and to help the air out by contraction of abdominal wall musculature (opens in a new tab), which means tightening your tummy muscles.
How do people do it?
These steps are put together from patient posts and the 2026 review. Try them when you feel a gurgle, often after eating or after a fizzy drink.
- Sit up straight and drop your shoulders.
- Tip your head slightly down, open your mouth about halfway, and breathe in gently as you feel the gurgle coming. One person said they did exactly this, and after 2 weeks could burp 50 times a day (opens in a new tab) (patient report).
- Relax your throat. Some people make a low, slow growling sound as the gurgle starts. The review describes a patient coach who teaches people to generate a low-pitched, slow growling sound (opens in a new tab).
- Give a gentle push from your tummy at the same time, as if pushing the gurgle up (Lehmann 2026 (opens in a new tab)).
- Try small head moves. A US voice clinic says some people tuck the chin, turn the head sharply to one side or the other, lower the larynx as if yawning (opens in a new tab).
- Don't force it. The same clinic says the trick is to help burps along, not "making them happen" (opens in a new tab).
Why does staying calm matter?
People often say stress made it harder. One person who taught themselves wrote that you need to be patient, very patient, and be very relaxed about it (opens in a new tab), because stress will only slow you down (patient report).
There may be a reason for this. The 2026 review says the muscle at the top of the food pipe reacts to things like emotional stress (opens in a new tab). If you also have a fear of being sick, our emetophobia page has support.
What do people with R-CPD say?
“every time the croaky noises came, I began to switch off everything else mentally and just focus purely on the muscles in my throat and trying to understand how to control them”
“the turning point was learning to relax my throat and be conscious of being relaxed instead of trying to force the air out. Eventually the burps came.”
“Started working on trying to 'open my throat' up to let it out. Every time the reflex happened I'd try and burp. It honestly took like a year to learn.”
“I just started burping regularly last month. I noticed that the "window" for burping happens immediately after the gurgle croak. Like, "gurgle...BURP!"”
“I learned how to burp by letting out the hiccups that happen after I drink water instead of holding and suppressing them. Eventually the burps became small and grew larger.”
Patient reports. Short quotes, linked to the original post. We leave out usernames.
What does the evidence say?
- Nobody has tested this in a study yet. The 2026 review collected some patient-generated descriptions (opens in a new tab) of these techniques and said behaviour therapy for R-CPD is largely unexplored (opens in a new tab).
- The same review suggests some fraction of those patients could have been 'taught to burp' without Botox (opens in a new tab). That is the authors' idea, not a proven result.
- A small US study taught 7 people similar positions with a speech therapist. More about that on our speech therapy and physio page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I relax my throat to burp?
Sit up, tip your head slightly down and open your mouth a little as you feel a gurgle. Breathe in gently and give a small push from your tummy. People say patience and staying relaxed (opens in a new tab) matter most (patient reports).
Should I force a burp if I have R-CPD?
No. A US voice clinic says to help burps along and let them happen, not "making them happen" (opens in a new tab). Forcing can make you tense up.
How long does it take to learn to burp this way?
It varies a lot. Some people on r/noburp say a couple of weeks, others say months. If nothing changes after a few months, talk to your GP.
Sources
- Lehmann and Kahrilas 2026, narrative review (free full text) (opens in a new tab)
- Laryngopedia: What to expect after Botox for R-CPD (opens in a new tab)
- r/noburp self-cure megapost (Internet Archive copy) (opens in a new tab) (patient reports)
Other things people try
- 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
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