Every breath you take has a profound effect on the quality of your life.  Improper breathing patterns are extremely common, and they are a subtle but major source of pain and many health problems.  The good news is that by simply becoming aware of and improving the quality of your breathing, you may experience significant improvement in your physical and emotional well-being. 

The diaphragm is a large, dome-shaped muscle at the bottom of your rib cage, extending back to your spine, which is primarily responsible for breathing.  When you take a full, healthy breath, your diaphragm contracts, your abdominal and chest muscles relax, and your abdomen and then chest expand as the air is sucked into your lungs.  As you exhale, your diaphragm relaxes and your abdominal muscles may contract slightly. 

To test your breathing habits, lie flat on your back with one hand resting on your chest and the other on your abdomen.  Take a full, deep breath.  If your abdominal hand rises, followed by the hand on your chest, you are breathing properly.  If only the chest hand rises, you are one of the many folks who have developed a habit of holding tension in the abdominal muscles and breathing mostly in the chest.  This shallow and/or restricted breathing can contribute to neck tension and pain, headaches, back pain, digestive problems, fatigue, and a host of other maladies.  Watch your breath patterns throughout the day.  Even if you are breathing deeply and properly while relaxed on your back, you may find that when you are sitting, working, driving, and involved in other activities, particularly when under stress, your breathing becomes more shallow and restricted. 

The remedy?  Practice deep, relaxed breathing first while lying on your back, consciously breathing into your abdomen so that as you inhale the hand on your tummy rises first, followed by the hand on your chest.  Do this for a few minutes a day, until taking a full deep abdominal breath is quite comfortable and easy.  Then check  yourself whenever you can remember while you are working and in other active situations, and when you catch yourself with restricted breathing take a few deep, full breaths, feeling first your abdomen and then your chest expand.  Folks who have had longstanding dysfunctional breath patterns often develop motion restrictions in the spine and rib cage, and may find that chiropractic treatment speeds their ability to improve their breathing habits.  And they will find that improving their breathing habits leads to more lasting benefits from chiropractic. 

As you become aware of your breathing patterns, and as you improve them, you will experience less tension and pain and more energy, relaxation and awareness.  You can start now, with one deep breath.