As a pelvic floor physical therapist, I will be the first to admit that I am adamant about proper breath mechanics. Not only does intentional inhalation and exhalation benefit pelvic floor health in general, but it promotes significant pelvic floor relaxation, which most if not all of us need.
This is called diaphragmatic breathing and is something that I begin working with every patient on when they come through my clinic doors. It doesn’t particularly matter the pelvic floor dysfunction they are experiencing simply because ninety-nine percent of the time, the average person practices shallow breathing on a regular basis.
Throughout this post we are going to break down the “normal” pattern that most people practice, how we can use our diaphragm to calm our nervous system, and how to get started in doing so.
Fight or Flight
As I mentioned before, most if not all humans are very good at shallow breaths or what is also called upper chest breathing. This is a learned pattern that occurs with the everyday hustle and bustle of our lives. This type of breath pattern results in a regularly occurring heightened alertness or what is called fight or flight.
Fight or flight is critical for those moments when we need extra adrenaline to react to a dangerous situation, but is not necessary for everyday life activities. Because humans have naturally gravitated toward this breath pattern, this is the first habit I try to break with pelvic floor clients.
Learn more about the importance of proper breath work in the blog post here.
Rest and Digest
On the flip side of things, when we focus on improving our breath mechanics, we help adjust our bodies into a rest and digest state.
When we master proper breath mechanics, a significant amount of movement happens in many areas of the body. The diaphragm muscle itself attaches to the ribs, the lower spine, the pelvis, and other areas. When we breathe properly, the diaphragm helps to mobilize all of these areas within the abdomen region promoting optimal mobility of critical organs.
Learn the benefits of optimal abdominal mobility in regards to fertility in the blog post here.
Practice Proper Breath Work
The key when focusing on breath mechanics is to ensure that you take the diaphragm through its entire range of motion, just like we would any other muscle or body part. As we take in a deep breath, you want to feel the air expanding your ribs laterally, filling your belly, and only slightly raising your chest. If you notice your chest is rising a lot, reset and refocus on emphasizing the air expanding into your ribs.
When initiating breath work, I encourage you to start in the seated position first and work your way to laying on your back, sidelying, and even standing. It’s important that you are able to reproduce this breath pattern in various positions as we put our bodies in many different positions every day.
It’s also important to mention that the diaphragm and deep core, or transverse adbominus, are closely connected. This particular brain-body connection can play a key role in reducing pelvic floor issues such as urinary incontinence. You can find more about this topic in the blog post here.
Conclusion
A benefit to training our diaphragm to function at its optimal capacity is pain reduction. As we encourage our bodies into the rest and digest state, we also encourage improved pain tolerance and thus reduced perception of pain.
With all of this being said, almost everyone will benefit from the practice of diaphragmatic breathing, whether or not you’re experiencing pain or pelvic dysfunction. I would encourage anyone that’s interested to start practicing once a day, taking 5-10 proper breaths and focusing on taking the diaphragm through its entire range of motion.
It is possible that this simple practice will not only benefit pain reduction if you’re experiencing acute or chronic pain, but can also benefit pelvic floor dysfunction, and reduce stress levels that many of us deal with.
If you or someone you know is struggling with pelvic dysfunction, get in touch with us! We’d love to help point your or your friend the right direction to a symptom-free life. You can contact us at 502-939-8564 or book a free consultation here.
Comentarios