Neck and Jaw Pain: Understanding the Connection to Breathing
We all know that breathing is important, but did you know that HOW you breathe is also important? Mouth breathing vs. nasal breathing. Belly breathing vs. chest breathing vs. diaphragm breathing vs. box breathing. Everyone has an opinion and some program to sell. No programs to sell here, but would you like my opinion?
Well, I’m sure glad you asked…
Here are two BASIC examples of breathing patterns:
Diaphragmatic breathing - when we take a breath in, we’re letting the breath expand our rig cage out through the sides, back to the spine and ribs, forward into the sternum, and down towards the relaxing pelvic floor. This allows for the ribs to move, the diaphragm to expand down (pumping the organs below), the majority of the work comes from the muscles designed to move the ribs, and the pelvic floor to give and relax. On the exhale, the ribs come down and in again and the pelvic floor elevates as the lungs deflate and air is pushed out of the system.
Chest and shoulder breathing - what we like to shift into when stressed, tired, or when there is dysfunction within the midback, ribs, pelvic floor, and/or abdomen. When we take a breath in, we’re more heavily recruiting the muscles of the neck and shoulders (= hello to my chronically tight neck/jaw friends) to elevate the ribs upward rather than expanding them outward (which allows for better mid back mobility = hello to my chronically tight midback friends). This creates a more shallow breath, allows for less volume of air into the system, can contribute to tension in the pelvic floor (not relaxing on an inhale), can tighten the muscles of the neck and contribute to TMJ dysfunction & tension headaches, and so much more.
It’s easy to see how taking expansive breaths into the ribs can be beneficial for a variety of different reasons and to many systems within the body. On the flip side, chronically shallow, chest and shoulder breathing frequently contributes to tension and dysfunction. Add in mouth breathing and we are really setting the body up for some less than optimal patterns. Addressing causes behind mouth breathing is also an important focus when discussing optimal health, but not the primary focus of this blog - more to come on this particular topic.
Why is belly breathing not a great cue (in Dr. Dani’s opinion):
When people are told to breathe into their belly, we commonly see them push their belly out, arch their low back, and bear down on the pelvic floor in an attempt to “direct the air” out into the abdomen. However, when we follow this cue and in the manner just mentioned, we tend to still miss the opening of the midback and outer ribs because we aren’t expanding out into the ribs very much at all, we’re expanding through the belly while the ribs still maintain “neutral.” While there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way to breathe, this cue for breathing doesn’t tend to yield the best results when it comes to improving midback mobility and rib mobility while decreasing pelvic floor and jaw tension.
How can shallow chest breathing lead to neck and jaw tension?
The muscles of the neck and shoulders can function as a back up to help elevate the ribs in times of need such as an intense run when we need juuuust a bit more air intake. However, it’s not their primary function. These big guys are recruited for the short, shallow chest breathing and when it becomes chronic… they become chronically overworked. The muscle and fascial systems in this area are VERY connected to the jaw, cranial system, and more notably- the base of the skull.
How to work on breathing “better”:
At Balance Chiro and Rehab (BCR), our goal is to assess where the underlying dysfunction is coming from. Is tension elsewhere preventing us from breathing optimally or are our breathing patterns from stress and lifestyle contributing to tension elsewhere? We address the WHY behind the dysfunction rather than just telling you to breathe differently, which, is typically not a super helpful approach. Freeing up the mid back, ribs, abdominal muscles, hips and pelvic floor PRIOR to breathwork can be a huge - and commonly overlooked - piece of the puzzle. Once things are moving a bit easier, we tend to progress into accessing this new found range of motion and working on breathing in different positions to help get things moving a bit better. We then start incorporating breathwork into daily activities such as lifting (picking up and carrying a 20lb kiddo absolutely counts) and continuing home care recommendations to help better support more optimal posture and breathing patterns. Decreasing tension by stretching and mobilizing is great, but there’s so much more that can help “downregulate” and “retrain the system” to promote more long-lasting improvement!
Treatment for neck and jaw pain:
As we addressed earlier, the first step in addressing pain is taking a deep dive into underlying causes. Assessing the body as a whole is first and foremost. This is then followed by an individualized treatment approach consisting of manual therapies such as myofascial release, cupping, dry needling (when appropriate), intra-oral work, chiropractic adjustments, craniosacral fascial therapy, and prescribed at-home exercise recommendations. Improved breathing mechanics typically occurs pretty naturally when we can get the system moving better and focus on internal factors such as stress as well as external factors such as postural concerns such as feeding a newborn.
Hi there!
My name is Dr. Dani and I’m an in-home chiropractor for busy women and infants within the Denver Metro area. I work with women of all ages and stages, but truly shine with the pregnancy, postpartum, and pediatric populations. I strive for quality care through extended appointment times, diverse treatment modalities, personalized home-care recommendations, and education so families can feel both empowered and cared for!
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