One of the simplest and least used techniques for reducing low back pain is deep diaphragmatic breathing. Low back pain affects between 80 and 95% of the population at some point in life.
There are many reasons that trigger pain, and our ability to use our diaphragm effectively plays an extremely important role.
The diaphragm muscle is located just below the lungs and like other muscles, it contracts to develop movement and becomes weak if not used enough.
Although the diaphragm should be one of the primary muscles used in breathing, many people unknowingly “breathe through the chest.” These people do not use their diaphragm enough and overload their secondary respiratory muscles, such as those in the neck and back.
CONTENT:
Why does breathing help?
- The first and most important reason why diaphragmatic breathing can help eliminate chronic back pain is that the diaphragm is the basis of the “central” muscles.
When you bend down and stretch a back muscle or dislocate a ring of your spine, you are actually suffering from a muscle imbalance that has developed over time. Under-use of the diaphragm leads to loss of strength, forces other muscles to work in its place, and can cause the entire body to make up for its lack.
If this problem is not corrected in time, the body becomes a time bomb to trigger back pain that most people mistakenly attribute to associated activities such as “wrong shopping” or “bending over.” a wrong way ”.
What is often wrong is not the activity itself, but the body that performs the activity. To keep the basics of biomechanics functional, the correct use of the diaphragm is probably the most important thing you need to learn.
- Second, a strong diaphragm reduces the tension of all secondary muscles that have been overloaded. It will not only reduce the tension in all the secondary muscles, such as the lumbar ones, but also the tension in the neck and even the tension-induced headaches.
- Third, the diaphragm attaches directly to the lumbar vertebra, so that each deep diaphragmatic breath acts on the bones in the lumbar region, which stimulates the healing movement and circulation of blood around those bones and vertebrae. A strong enough inspiration can even cause a spinal readjustment, while regular deep breathing keeps the bones optimally aligned.
- Fourth, diaphragmatic breathing acts as a gentle massage to the internal organs. If pain caused by discomfort in an organ occurs in the lumbar region, stimulation of internal movement can reduce these symptoms.
- Fifth, diaphragmatic breathing is strongly connected by the stimulation of anti-stress (parasympathetic) mechanisms in the body. If a person’s low back pain is caused by stress, light diaphragmatic breathing provides an immediate solution.
How to adjust your breathing
The breathing reset technique is extremely simple, but very effective in tense situations, in which we feel lost in nature.
- Close your eyes, then inhale through your nose, counting to 4. Focus on the air entering your lungs.
- Then hold your breath until you count to 4 again.
- Exhale easily, counting to 4. Exhalation can also be done through the mouth, but inhale only through the nose.
- Repeat this step for 4 minutes.
At the end of the exercise, peace will be established and the symptoms of anxiety will disappear. In order to benefit to the maximum from the beneficial effects of practicing this breathing exercise, you should take into account the following tips:
- Retreat to a quiet place when practicing this exercise – it can be about a corner of a room or the toilet of a public place, it is important to have a little peace
- Place one hand on your stomach to make sure you breathe abdominally – this means that when you inhale your abdomen should swell, and when you exhale, it should retract.
- Try to relax your muscles throughout your body when practicing this breathing exercise
The benefits of breathing regulation
- Reduces stress and combats its effects on the body – deep and regular breathing fights hyperventilation and reduces the production of the stress hormone in the body. Hyperventilation triggers a number of unpleasant symptoms in the body, from dizziness to nausea and loss of balance or headaches.
- Increases concentration – a study has shown that exercises that regulate the rhythm of breathing contribute to increasing the ability to concentrate.
- Improves stress tolerance – studies show that breathing exercises, practiced regularly, increase an individual’s ability to cope with stress.