Taylor Thornburg Physical Therapy, Inc.: Restoration Through Breath

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Restoration Through Breath

Breath is life. We cannot live without the mechanism of breathing, delivering oxygen to all parts of our body, and expelling the waste product of carbon dioxide. Our bodies know how to breathe. But with the stresses of daily life, our breath patterns can alter, affecting our health, our pain, and our mood. Read on to learn a little more about breath, and how you can utilize this resource to calm your body.

What is going on in our bodies when we breathe?

Our breathing style is controlled by two intertwined nervous system responses that help us maintain bodily functions as well as survive and cope in our world. They are called the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system responses.

The sympathetic nervous system response is simply called “fight or flight.” We need it to run away from a predator. What happens during this response? Our rate of breathing increases, forcing our breaths to be shallow. These chest breaths use the muscles on the front of our necks to lift our chests. We are delivering oxygen quickly to our muscles. Our heart rate accelerates, blood pressure increases, blood vessels constrict, and our digestive system is inhibited. We are ready to spring into action at a moment's notice.

Our parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for homeostasis, restoration, or “rest and digest.” This system controls bodily functions when we are calm. This includes stimulating digestion, activating metabolism, and helping our bodies relax. Our breathing becomes deeper, our heart rate slows, and blood pressure decreases.

Our world pushes our sympathetic nervous system response on a consistent basis. While we are not running away from lions, in modern life we are dealing with heightened input each day. Musculoskeletal or nerve pain and/or anxiety further obstructs our ability to find calm and rest. If we are perpetually in a fight or flight response, our digestive system fails to get enough blood supply, our muscles get overused with shallow breathing, and our blood pressure and heart rate stays elevated. Controlling an overactive sympathetic nervous system response is vital to the health of our entire body.

Anatomy

Our trunks are divided into two parts, the thoracic region where the heart and lungs live, and the abdominal cavity where the digestive organs live. They are separated by a large muscle called the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle which at rest, lies upwardly convex. When we take a deep inbreath / inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and moves downwards. More space is created in the chest cavity and the contraction creates a vacuum which pulls air into the lungs. With outbreath / exhalation the diaphragm relaxes, moves upwards in the chest cavity, and air is forced out of the lungs. The nerve that directs the diaphragm action comes from the middle three levels of the neck, C3,4 and 5.

Upright posture is vital for maximizing lung capacity as it allows the ribs to expand fully. Slouching limits rib mobility and compresses the contents of the abdominal cavity making it hard for the diaphragm to move downward.

How does pain affect my breathing?

Pain can indirectly affect breathing as the body remains in fight or flight response with shallow breathing and breath holding. Pain can also directly affect the efficiency of the diaphragm. For example, the diaphragm maybe inhibited in those who have neck pain, making deep breathing more difficult. Neck pain is perpetuated, with anterior neck muscles working overtime to lift the chest for shallow chest breathing. The rib cage decreases its mobility for lack of demand. This leaves the neck with too much responsibility for movement at a time when its muscles are overly stressed.

This cycle can be broken with conscious attempts at deep breathing. Breathing deeply, with a slow and steady inhalation to exhalation ratio, signals our parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body down and inhibit the fight or flight response.

How can I learn to alter my breath and calm my body?

The key to this is Awareness

Do you notice yourself holding your breath? Breath holding is a key sign of flight or fight response.
Do you breathe through your nose or your mouth? Nose breathing helps filter our air.
When you inhale does your belly expand or get drawn inward? If your belly doesn’t move, or gets drawn inward, your diaphragm is not moving as it should, and you cannot take a deep breath. Your body automatically inhales.
Try this experiment: exhale all the air out of your lungs. Now hold and do not inhale. How comfortable is that experience? Your body does not necessarily automatically exhale. Think about all the times you hold your breath, or breath in quickly as if startled. Try inhaling and holding your breath. It’s a little easier, yes?

Learning to control your breath pattern to promote calm

Focusing your attention on your breathing requires discipline, and starting a new practice can feel overwhelming. It is best to start in short doses. Just 3-5 minutes per day can make a difference in your sense of well-being.

Set a timer for 3-5 minutes. That way you know the session has a beginning and an end.
Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Arrange a quiet environment if you can, but if you cannot, try to block out the noise by concentrating on the sound of your breath or play music you find relaxing.
Close your eyes.
Place your hands below your belly button and feel for movement as you inhale and exhale.
Start with nose breathing. Six seconds inhale, six seconds exhale.
Feel your ribs expand outward with each inhalation, like an umbrella opening, front sides and back.
If your mind wanders, gently acknowledge it and bring it back.
Set a goal of 10 breaths or 3-5 minutes once a day for 4 weeks then build up your time and number of breaths. You may also want to explore other breath patterns.