Breath Health: How We Breathe Affects Our Total Health
Our ribcages are meant to go through several actions as we breathe: lifting, widening and opening towards the front. Anything that stops these actions on a regular basis can lock us into habitual improper breathing, and impact our health. Chronic improper breath patterns can negatively impact our bodies over time. Reduced oxygen intake leads to fatigue, poor concentration and decreased physical performance. Chronic shallow breathing can trigger the body’s stress response and the release of hormones like cortisol which can increase heart rate and blood pressure, disrupt sleep, decrease immune function and impair digestion. Chronic misuse of certain muscles to help us breathe can lead to pain and tension especially in the neck, shoulders and upper back.
Breath-holding patterns can give rise to ribcages being “stuck open” or “stuck closed” and, over time, give people the feeling that they can’t get enough air. Ideally, think of the ribcage holding the lungs like a balloon inside an expandable/collapsible container. If the container is tight and rigid, the balloon can’t expand and let air in. Conversely, if the container is large but unable to collapse, the balloon has no way of pushing old air out completely. In both cases, fresh air can’t fully enter, and people will feel like they can’t get enough oxygen. This “stuck” pattern can be seen in people who:
Have or had asthma, especially as children and had a hard time breathing. They are often stuck open.
Have had abdominal surgeries and have scar tissue locking them down. They are often stuck closed.
Have a chronic startle response due to nervous system hypervigilance from trauma. They are often stuck open.
These stuck ribcage patterns can give rise to shallow chest breathing patterns that create tension in the neck and upper back due to certain neck muscles pulling up on upper ribs to create more space for air. If these ribs are chronically pulled up, it can give rise to issues like thoracic outlet syndrome, tingling in arms and/or hands (and misdiagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome), chronic neck pain, headaches, and TMJ dysfunction. Additionally, these shallow breathing patterns can cause (or sometimes be caused by) a lack of coordination between the diaphragm and pelvic floor, and cause issues further down the chain in the abdomen and pelvic floor, allowing for bladder leakage, hip and low back pain, and more. Shallow chest breathing patterns can be triggered by:
Stress, Anxiety, and Panic Attacks: High levels of stress or anxiety can trigger shallow breathing as part of the body's fight-or-flight response. Shallow breathing can be a physiological response to perceived danger or a way to prepare for a physical response. Rapid “overbreathing” in this state can even create hyperventilation in people and give rise to panic attacks.
Respiratory Infections: Conditions such as bronchitis, pneumonia, or the common cold can cause shallow breathing. When the airways are inflamed or blocked, individuals may instinctively breathe more shallowly to minimize discomfort or pain.
Asthma, Chronic Bronchitis and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): In these conditions, airways become obstructed due to inflammation, mucus or narrowing of the airways, making it difficult to inhale or exhale fully. Individuals often experience shortness of breath and may resort to shallow breathing as a way to manage and reduce symptoms.
Sedentary Lifestyle: Prolonged periods of inactivity or a sedentary lifestyle can contribute to shallow breathing habits. Poor posture, such as slouching or sitting hunched over, can limit the expansion of the lungs and encourage shallow breathing patterns.
Getting bodywork to release some of the chronically tight muscles contributing to these patterns, increasing physical activity, dealing with mental health issues like anxiety that contribute to shallow breathing, and learning how to breathe properly again can return us to better health.
******
We can support you at The Healing Sanctuary with a variety of modalities that can get you back to better breathing:
Massage: to address tight and painful neck, shoulder and back muscles affected by improper breathing
Reiki and Sound Healing: to reduce the stress and anxiety that contributes to shallow breathing
Mindfulness Meditation: to learn mindfulness techniques to reduce stress and breathwork techniques to breathe more fully and deeply
Acupuncture: our in-house partner Eagle Acupuncture can address stress and anxiety, headaches and TMJ dysfunction.
Pelvic Floor Therapy: our in-house partner The Pelvic Room can treat the dysfunctional patterns between diaphragm and pelvic floor that contribute to faulty breathing.
