BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR RECOVERY BY RESTORING YOUR BREATH

We take approximately 23,000 breaths every day…so, why is breathing something that is so easily overlooked? Many individuals I encounter have a difficult time incorporating proper diaphragmatic breathing – we all know that one person who can’t “relax” their neck & whose shoulders are constantly up by their ears. So let’s take a brief look at how breathing can have an impact on your physical recovery.

What can influence your breath?

1. Habits or strategies that have been learned over time 

• Sucking in your belly & gripping your abdominals to appear “thin” 

• When recovering from a recent injury, you may naturally try to “protect” yourself by constantly bracing your abs – this may become problematic if adopted for a prolonged period of time 

2. Prolonged periods of sitting 

• When your hips are bent to 90 degrees, this can make it mechanically more difficult for the diaphragm to work in its full range 

3. Stress & anxiety

• Your breath has strong connections to the different emotional states experienced 

4. Other factors, such as respiratory conditions (e.g. asthma, allergies), behavioral patterns (e.g. smoking), and environmental factors. 

How can this affect your injury recovery?

When diaphragmatic (aka belly) breathing becomes more difficult, our bodies will naturally try to recruit other muscles to assist with the job BUT these muscles are not built for *routine* respiration. This is when we see people who are chest (aka apical) breathers. We start to notice more shallow breathing as the diaphragm does not descend through its full available range. This can have potential impacts on: 

➔ Neck & shoulder pain: Over-use & increased tension of accessory muscles (e.g. neck muscles, including the traps, SCM, scalenes. Chest muscles, including pec minor). 

➔ Low-back pain: Sub-optimal recruitment of inner core muscles (the diaphragm is one of the four muscles that helps create appropriate intra-abdominal pressure, which can contribute to spine stability).

➔ Decreased sport performance: Inefficient breathing can increase energy expenditure, thus reducing the amount available for muscles. 

What can Physiotherapy do to help? 

• Bring awareness & restore proper breathing patterns to help optimize core & movement strategies.

• Mobilization techniques to improve movement of mid-back & ribcage. 

• Release tension in overworked neck muscles. 

• Address any weakness in the diaphragm & other inner core muscles.

Want to learn more on how to optimize your breath to help with your recovery? Reach out to us!

References: 

• Anderson BE, Bliven KC. The Use of Breathing Exercises in the Treatment of Chronic, Nonspecific Low Back Pain. Journal of sport rehabilitation. 2017 Sep;26(5):452-8.
• Beeckmans, N., Vermeersch, A., Lysens, R., Van Wambeke, P., Goossens, N., Thys, T., … & Janssens, L. (2016). The presence of respiratory disorders in individuals with low back pain: A systematic review. Manual therapy, 26, 77-86
• Bradley, H., & Esformes, J. D. (2014). Breathing pattern disorders and functional movement. International journal of sports physical therapy, 9(1), 28
• McLaughlin, L., Goldsmith, C. H., & Coleman, K. (2011). Breathing evaluation and retraining as an adjunct to manual therapy. Manual therapy, 16(1), 51-52
• Mehling, W. E., Hamel, K. A., Acree, M., Byl, N., & Hecht, F. M. (2005). Randomized controlled trial of breath therapy for patients with chronic low-back pain. Alternative therapies in health and medicine, 11(4), 44-53
• Yeampattanaporn, O., Mekhora, K., Jalayondeja, W., & Wongsathikun, J. (2014). Immediate effects of breathing re-education on respiratory function and range of motion in chronic neck pain. Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand= Chotmaihet Thangphaet, 97, S55-9