Complete Physiotherapy

Welcome to the team, Chris Kaster!

(2/2) While breathing is considered a largely involuntary action, we do have the ability to control and change the way we breathe. There are times where modifying our breathing pattern may be beneficial to us. Reasons for modifying breathing pattern include recovery from injury, abnormal posture (especially if it leads to pain), unusual pain/tightness in trunk, or even just plain difficulty breathing (shortness of breath). Perhaps the simplest place to start is posture. In many modern countries, the average population has developed a commonly found posture: forward head, rounded shoulders, and rounded mid back. The problem here is that rounding our back and shoulders causes compression on our lungs, diaphragm, and ribs at the front of our bodies. If our moving parts for breathing are “squished,” we will be less able to get air in and out and correspondingly exchange less oxygen and carbon dioxide. A quick fix to assist in this posture would be to gently sit up tall (small chest lift) and bring the shoulder blades back. If this is strenuous, there is likely excessive tension in the muscle and other structures maintaining the suboptimal posture. Posture can be improved upon quickly and readily if done right. However, there are conditions in which correcting posture will be difficult, particularly in cases of excessive or unusual spinal curvatures, such as excessive kyphosis, lordosis, or scoliosis. For these conditions, we recommend active management under a physiotherapist, as contributing factors will vary for each patient.

With injury to structures of the spine, ribs, or surrounding structures, the specific muscles of respiration may actually get turned off as a protective mechanism. This is called pain-related inhibition of muscles and is caused by the brain and spinal cord reducing electrical signals to muscles in injured areas. Often times, the specific pain producing tissue must be addressed to restore normal movement patterns affecting breathing. This is typically done under the care of a skilled physical therapist.

No copyright infringement intended with the post's associated image.