Chiropractic care can help you breath more easily. You probably don’t give much thought to your breathing, but the way that you breathe goes a long way to determining the quality of life you live.
Indeed, every other body function depends on the quality of your breathing. It directly influences your lungs, your heart, your blood vessels, your lymphatic system, cellular metabolism and the optimal functioning of your immune system.
Via the circulating blood, breathing is affecting every single cell of your body. Your brain needs a constant, uninterrupted supply of oxygen or you are facing brain damage or death.
So, how we breathe is seen as a great indicator as to our state of health!
Luckily our breathing is an automatic response to ensure our survival. We don’t have to think about it too much. Our nervous system, consisting of our brain and spinal cord, are the main controllers of our organs of respiration, our lungs and diaphragm. Without the correct messages from the brain and spinal cord telling our organs what to do, we would not function properly or at all for that matter.
Breathing has become a big issue with the haze we experience sometimes, asthma and chronic pulmonary conditions we see in Singapore. But let’s also remember, even many of us without asthma, or any other recognised lung problem, are nevertheless suffering from decreased depth of breathing (shallow breathing) or shortness of breath. Why is this?
Reasons for shallow, inefficient, breathing
There are 2 main issues here:
1. Thoracic restriction preventing deep regular breathing
If your thoracic spine and rib cage supporting and surrounding your lungs and diaphragm becomes restricted (stiff), you will have decreased ease and capacity of breathing. Many of our patients report a history of chest tightness and breathing difficulties (shallow, quick breaths). This can be scary at times as one can mistake it for a heart condition.
2. Interruption of nerve supply to your lungs and diaphragm
These important organs are controlled by your nervous system ie. your brain and spinal cord. If there are spinal distortions causing nerve pressure or irritation then this can seriously compromise your breathing.
This is where Chiropractic adjustments can help enormously. The spinal adjustments and postural improvements allow a smooth, uninterrupted flow of nerve messages to these organs, and a more supple and flexible thorax allows greater expansion of the lungs.
Chiropractic adjustments are gentle, accurate, specific and helpful in improving breathing restrictions and chest or mid back discomfort.
It is extremely common that a client, immediately after his/her adjustment, will take a huge breath and exclaim “Wow, I can breath properly again!”. Of course! Remember that all those thoracic spinal nerves vitally supply your chest organs! We explain to our patients that this is how they should normally be breathing! This is how good it should feel all the time. Unfortunately however, poor posture, daily stresses and bad habits inevitably lead many of us to develop decreased or restricted lung capacity.
How does this apply to those suffering asthma?
Well, chiropractic can help most people breath better, but this is even more important when there is a recognized breathing condition like asthma.
In a study of 81 asthmatic children, 73 showed significant improvement after chiropractic adjustments; 25 of them voluntarily decreased their medication by an average of 66.5%.
Several reports have shown lung volume to increase after chiropractic care.
In another study of patients with chronic pulmonary disease (including bronchitis and emphysema) over 90% reported improvement in symptoms after spinal care.
Chiropractic is not a guaranteed cure for asthma or pulmonary diseases, but when your body is functioning at it’s maximum potential, amazing things can happen!
Visit our clinic to have a chat with our chiropractors and meet our team of friendly and helpful assistants to find out how you, your family and friends can benefit from a life with a healthy nervous system and fully functional spine.
Asthma and chiropractic – What the research says:
Eraham, RL, Pistolee RA. An impairment rating analysis of asthmatic children under chiropractic care. JVSR, 1997;1(4).?Melin G, Harajula R. Lung function in relation to thoracic spinal mobility and kyphosis. Scandinavian Journal of Rehabilitative Medicine. 1987;19:89-102
Masarsky C, Weber M, Chiropractic and lung volumes- A retrospective study. ACA J of Chiropr 1986; 23(9): 65-8?
Kessinger R; Changes in pulmonary function associated with upper cervical specific chiropractic care. J Vert Sblux Res 1997; 1(3):43-9
Spitzer WO, et al. The use of B-agonists and the risk of death from asthma. NEJM. 1992;326:501-506.
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