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Importance of Proper Breathing

8/10/2013

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The average adult breathes 12-20x/minute, which accounts to over 20,000 breaths/day.  Ideally, the diaphragm is the major muscle of inspiration. When abnormal breathing patterns develop, accessory muscles (scalenes, SCM, upper trapezius, pectorals) are forced to be used more. In other words, these muscles have the potential to be used improperly >20,000x/day. Scary right?! 

While various breathing pattern abnormalities exist, a commonly seen pattern is the "chest breather." The chest breather does not fully engage his/her diaphragm and often has decreased lung volumes. These patients often incorporates their anterior accessory muscles of inspiration which can pull them into a forward head and rounded shoulder posturing: a posture we see in many of our clients. Their imbalances go deeper than what is seen by observation alone. Because the chest breather has decreased lung volumes, he/she may be in a constant sympathetic state to supply sufficient oxygen to the bodies tissues. Consequently, they may have increased muscle tone, anxiety, and a variety of other PNS and CNS symptoms. In a post written by Mike Reinold in late April, he highlights two studies that show the importance of proper breathing. One study interestingly discovered increased EMG activity of the scalene and trapezius muscles while typing. As students, who spend most of their day at a computer, this is something to consider. This could be contributing to neck pain and stiffness that so many students have. Additionally, breathing exercises maybe a good place to start for your sedentary office worker with chronic neck pain.   

Reinold also mentions several treatment strategies to initially assess breathing technique: 
1. Breath Holding Test. Decreased breath holding my demonstrate an intolerance to CO2 build-up. 
2. Belly/Chest Test. Have the patient place one hand at their naval and their second hand at the sternum. Assess which hands moves further. Is there a change is sitting vs. supine? With a deep breath, ~90% of motion should come from the lower hand, indicating good diaphragmatic breathing. This test can later be used as an intervention. It is a simple way to provide external cueing to the patient to activate their diaphragm.  
3. Seated Lateral Expansion. Have the patient place a hand on either side of their thorax. Take a deep breath in and feel for rib movement symmetry. Again, if one side is moving differently than the other, hand cueing + manual facilitation can act as a good treatment intervention early in the POC. 

Below is a basic video demonstrating diaphragmatic breathing:

Here are 2 other good resources we found off Dr. E's website (The Manual Therapist) on breathing:
1. 5 Techniques to try with Diaphragmatic breathing
2. Assessment and Treatment for Diaphragmatic Breathing by: SPT Fred Charles

Thanks Mike Reinold and Dr. E for the great posts! 
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Insider Access
    • About Insider Access
  • Online Courses
    • Hooper's Knee
    • Physical Therapist Entrepreneur Course
    • Physical Therapist Consultant Course
    • Orthopedic Management of the Cervical Spine
    • Return to Sport Essentials Course
  • Resources
    • Newsletter
    • Business Minded Sports Physio Podcast
    • Day in the Life of a Sports PT
    • Residency Corner
    • Special Tests >
      • Cervical Spine >
        • Alar Ligament Test
        • Bakody's Sign
        • Cervical Distraction Test
        • Cervical Rotation Lateral Flexion Test
        • Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT)
        • Deep Neck Flexor Endurance Test
        • Posterior-Anterior Segmental Mobility
        • Segmental Mobility
        • Sharp-Purser Test
        • Spurling's Maneuver
        • Transverse Ligament Test
        • ULNT - Median
        • ULNT - Radial
        • ULNT - Ulnar
        • Vertebral Artery Test
      • Thoracic Spine >
        • Adam's Forward Bend Test
        • Passive Neck Flexion Test
        • Thoracic Compression Test
        • Thoracic Distraction Test
        • Thoracic Foraminal Closure Test
      • Lumbar Spine/Sacroiliac Joint >
        • Active Sit-Up Test
        • Alternate Gillet Test
        • Crossed Straight Leg Raise Test
        • Extensor Endurance Test
        • FABER Test
        • Fortin's Sign
        • Gaenslen Test
        • Gillet Test
        • Gower's Sign
        • Lumbar Quadrant Test
        • POSH Test
        • Posteroanterior Mobility
        • Prone Knee Bend Test
        • Prone Instability Test
        • Resisted Abduction Test
        • Sacral Clearing Test
        • Seated Forward Flexion Test
        • SIJ Compression/Distraction Test
        • Slump Test
        • Sphinx Test
        • Spine Rotators & Multifidus Test
        • Squish Test
        • Standing Forward Flexion Test
        • Straight Leg Raise Test
        • Supine to Long Sit Test
      • Shoulder >
        • Active Compression Test
        • Anterior Apprehension
        • Biceps Load Test II
        • Drop Arm Sign
        • External Rotation Lag Sign
        • Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Sign
        • Horizontal Adduction Test
        • Internal Rotation Lag Sign
        • Jobe Test
        • Ludington's Test
        • Neer Test
        • Painful Arc Sign
        • Pronated Load Test
        • Resisted Supination External Rotation Test
        • Speed's Test
        • Posterior Apprehension
        • Sulcus Sign
        • Thoracic Outlet Tests >
          • Adson's Test
          • Costoclavicular Brace
          • Hyperabduction Test
          • Roos (EAST)
        • Yergason's Test
      • Elbow >
        • Biceps Squeeze Test
        • Chair Sign
        • Cozen's Test
        • Elbow Extension Test
        • Medial Epicondylalgia Test
        • Mill's Test
        • Moving Valgus Stress Test
        • Push-up Sign
        • Ulnar Nerve Compression Test
        • Valgus Stress Test
        • Varus Stress Test
      • Wrist/Hand >
        • Allen's Test
        • Carpal Compression Test
        • Finkelstein Test
        • Phalen's Test
        • Reverse Phalen's Test
      • Hip >
        • Craig's Test
        • Dial Test
        • FABER Test
        • FAIR Test
        • Fitzgerald's Test
        • Hip Quadrant Test
        • Hop Test
        • Labral Anterior Impingement Test
        • Labral Posterior Impingement Test
        • Long-Axis Femoral Distraction Test
        • Noble Compression Test
        • Percussion Test
        • Sign of the Buttock
        • Trendelenburg Test
      • Knee >
        • Anterior Drawer Test
        • Dial Test (Tibial Rotation Test)
        • Joint Line Tenderness
        • Lachman Test
        • McMurray Test
        • Noble Compression Test
        • Pivot-Shift Test
        • Posterior Drawer Test
        • Posterior Sag Sign
        • Quad Active Test
        • Thessaly Test
        • Valgus Stress Test
        • Varus Stress Test
      • Foot/Ankle >
        • Anterior Drawer
        • Calf Squeeze Test
        • External Rotation Test
        • Fracture Screening Tests
        • Impingement Sign
        • Navicular Drop Test
        • Squeeze Test
        • Talar Tilt
        • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Test
        • Test for Interdigital Neuroma
        • Windlass Test