The Importance of Breathing

How obvious, right? We need to breathe to live. But did you ever think about "how" you breathe? Or, an even deeper question, how does your breathing pattern affect the rest of your body, your muscles, posture, core stability, and mental well being? Do you get a lot of headaches? Let's look at this a little closer.

First things first. Let's get to know a few of the muscles involved, this is by no means a comprehensive list:

The diaphragm is the most obvious one to start with. It is our primary breathing muscle, responsible for filling our lungs with air.

Diaphragm

Pectoralis minor- It attaches to our shoulder blade and our rib cage. It assists with breathing by helping elevate the rib cage. It also pulls the shoulder blade forward.

Pectoralis Minor

 Scalenes- These muscles attach to our first and second rib and our cervical spine (neck), assist with breathing by elevating the ribs, and move our head.

Scalenes

Psoas- This muscle may seem unrelated at first. I am including it because it shares an attachment with the diaphragm and because of this, the two muscles influence one another. 

Psoas

The Quadratus Lumborum, or QL as it is affectionately known, is a muscle in our lower back that attaches to our lower ribs, our lumbar spine, and our pelvis. it also shares an attachment with the diaphragm.

Quadratus Lumborum (QL)

Now let's discuss breathing patterns. I am going to break it down into two groups- belly breathers and upper chest breathers. How do you know which group you fall into? Well, put one hand on your tummy and the other on your sternum or breast bone. Now breathe normally and see which hand moves first when you inhale. If your lower hand moves first you are a belly breather and if your upper hand moves first, you guessed it, you are an upper chest breather. We are going to talk about what changes can potentially occur in your body if you are an upper chest breather.

Upper chest breathers are also called hyperventilators. According to Garland (1994) hyperventilation leads to reduced diaphragmatic efficiency and restriction in the lower rib cage which results in the accessory breathing muscles being excessively used (they get painful and tight). A series of changes then begins to evolve. Muscles in the back become tight, upper ribs become elevated, normal motion of the ribs and spine of the mid-back is disturbed, the Scalenes and other muscles in the same area become tight leading to myofascial trigger points, the neck becomes progressively more rigid, and functional tone of the diaphragm and core stabilizing muscles begins to diminish (they get weak). It doesn't sound too good does it? But that's not all.

Hyperventilation also leads to reduced oxygen in tissues (including the brain), smooth muscle constriction (arteries, respiratory structures, gastric-intestinal), heightened pain perception, and encouragement of the development of myofascial trigger points- all or any of which are capable of altering normal motor control of skeletal musculature according to research done by Nixon and Andrews 1996, Mogyoros 1997, Seyal 1998, and Chaitow 2004.

So what does it all mean and what can we do about it? As these changes occur, we move further and further along a vicious cycle. The abnormal function or use of these muscles alters normal structure which makes returning to normal function very difficult, and so it goes. If the muscles around our head, neck, and shoulders get tight, it can lead to headaches, disc issues, shoulder pain, and rotator cuff issues. If the muscles below our ribs get tight (Psoas, QL) it can contribute to low back pain and altered movement. So let's do some breathing exercises and see if we can't get some control back!

First, let's set our shoulders. Think about bringing your shoulder blades down and back- as though you are putting them in your back pockets. Now let's bring our chin back so it's not poking out- think about pushing the back of your head into the wall behind you while you keep your chin level. Sit up straight as though there is a cable attached to the top of your head pulling you upright. Put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest and breathe deeply in through your nose. Make sure your bottom hand starts to move first, filling up your belly first and then your chest. Exhale through your mouth and repeat. 

No time limits or sets and reps here, just do it until you don't want to do it anymore, and try to fit it in at least once a day. I think you might notice a feeling of relaxation coming on. Close your eyes and get into it. Remember the words of Sting..." every breath you take, every move you make..." is contributing to how you feel on a daily basis. OK, maybe that was a bit cheesy :)

References:

Chaitow L 2004 Breathing pattern disorders, motor control, and low back pain. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine 7(1): 34-41

Garland W 1994 Presentation to Respiratory Function Congress, Paris, 1994

Mogyoros I, Kiernan K, Burke D et al 1997 Excitability changes in human sensory and motor axons during hyperventilation and ischaemia. Brain 120(2): 317-325

Nixon P, Andrews J 1996 A study of anaerobic threshold in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Biological Psychology 43(3): 264

Seyal M, Mull B, Gage B 1998 Increased excitability of the human corticospinal system with hyperventilation. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology/ Electromyography and Motor Control 109(3): 263-267

Images are screen captures from iPad2 app The Muscle System Pro 3
3D4Medical.com