Diaphragmatic Breathing

I often remind my patients to breathe. Whether you're suffering from an acute injury, chronic pain or stress, breathing is one of the best ways to alleviate your pain and quell your anxiety. The oxygen we take in on every breath has amazing healing power. The deeper and slower we breathe, the more oxygen we take in. This not only increases blood flow to an injured or painful area, but it calms down the "alarm bells" going off during a painful or stressful situation.

You may notice that before I start a massage for pain, I will ask you to take some deep breaths and relax. Breathing from the belly optimizes the overall massage experience. It increases oxygen to the brain, aids the body's natural healing process and stimulates the lymphatic system, which you can read more about here. It also reduces anxiety, which studies show can decrease pain from a level of 7/10 to 3/10.

But you don't have to be on the massage table receiving treatment from a massage therapist to fall into this deep and rhythmic breathing pattern. You can do it at home -- even throughout the day.

Diaphragmatic breathing - also called abdominal or belly breathing - is deep breathing that uses the diaphragm (the dome-shaped muscle at the base of the lungs) to breathe rather than the upper lungs. Slow diaphragmatic breathing is the best way to "breathe away" pain and anxiety because it decreases the work of breathing while maximizing the amount of oxygen getting to your body.

Here is a list of symptoms that diaphragmatic breathing can help alleviate:

• Feelings of panic or anxiety
• Ongoing fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Chest tightness
• Headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Chronic pain
• Muscular aches, twitches or stiffness

It's no wonder then, that diaphragmatic breathing is the basis of yoga and is how newborn babies breathe naturally. Like anything, diaphragmatic breathing takes practice, yet the benefits can be felt with as little as 5-10 minutes a day.

Here is a basic step-by-step guide to the proper technique:

1. Lay comfortably on your back, either on the bed, a yoga mat or soft carpet. 
2. Place a small pillow on your belly so that when you breathe in, you can feel it rise with your diaphragm. If you don't have a pillow, you can place your hand over your belly - just below the rib cage - with the other hand on your chest.
3. Breathe in deeply through your nose so that the pillow rises with your diaphragm. Count to four slowly as you inhale. The breath should not be rushed.
4. Exhale through pursed lips, again counting slowly to four as the pillow sinks with your stomach. If you're using your hands, the hand on your chest should be still while the hand on your diaphragm sinks and rises.
5. Repeat for at least 5 minutes. It may help to recite a relaxing mantra such as "om" or "peace" as you breathe out, as long as it lasts the count of four.

Once you get the hang of it, diaphragmatic breathing can be done while sitting in a chair and even walking around. In the beginning, it's best to practice on the floor for 5-10 minutes, three times a day. If you have the time and are feeling the benefits, increase to 15 minutes or even 30. Gradually the breathing will become more natural and you can try it while at your office desk or even walking in the park.

Like I said before, you can't always snap your fingers and end up on my massage table receiving therapeutic massage therapy the minute you need it (although I always do my best to get you in as soon as possible). But you always have your breath. Think of it as a natural internal massage tool that you carry with you everywhere you go.

If you encounter a specifically stressful episode during the day, find a quite place to sit (or lay) for 5-10 minutes of diaphragmatic breathing. If you're overcome with a sudden pain flare-up, do the same. I think that you'll be amazed at the results.

Eugene Wood
Licensed Massage Therapist