“Let’s start with improving your breathing patterns,” is what patient’s will often hear during our first session. I realize why some might blow breathing techniques off. Breathing isn’t clique and the trendy thing to do. So it is important to explain WHY.

Why is breathing so important? What the actual FAQ, see the top reasons why below:

+ foundational support system of our internal and external bodies, like the machine to keep things going

+ diaphragm and pelvic floor move together with breath, inhales lengthen the two and exhales bring them gentle activation or return back into place

+ intra abdominal pressure to manage within the core canister, which can impact concerns like pelvic pain and heaviness as well as hernias

+ changes stress hormones through the nervous system, controls how we can react to stressful situations

+ promotes healing and tissue repair by increasing O2 to the injured area

Whole Body Breathing, 3D breathing, 360 degree breath, Circumferential Breathing. Just a few terms a pelvic floor therapist might use. Rib mobility including the side and back ribs impact the gliding movement of the diaphragm. And if the diaphragm doesn’t move efficiently, the pelvic floor more than likely isn’t moving functionally either. You also need to have full range of motion within the ribs in order to activate the deep core muscles, improving abdominal separation or diastases recti. 

Alignment and Posture: overall we are addressing diaphragm and rib cage positioning. We want our diaphragms as a curved roof over our core canister to promote whole body alignment.

Neurologic Connection: Phrenic nerve innervates the diaphragm. The nervous system including the Vagus nerve is essential for quality of life and performance of meaningful activities. Specific issues can also include numbness and tingling in the arms.

Why does breathing change during motherhood? Paradoxical or reverse breathing is common in the postpartum phase of life, because pregnant people were used to breathing up since the baby took up space, in addition to the ribs already completely flared out (which is why my pregnant patient’s work on deep inner core muscle engagement in order to make this recovery a bit easier). Our back tightens up during pregnancy because of a growing belly! 

Common Breathing Patterns

+ Belly breathing: Lengthens the abdominal muscles and fascia, which our goal is to rehab back to prior lengthening during pregnancy. It can also increase the pressure. Common with back pelvic floor tightness.

+ Chest/Heart breathing: increases rib flare, common posture after pregnancy with tight back and neck due to using the incorrect muscles to breathe

+ Shallow breathing: Unable to stimulate vagus nerve and unable to use certain muscles, lack of mobility throughout the core canister. Encourages us into “fight or flight”, which is a constant heightened state.

Love and light,

Becca