Do you suffer from stress and anxiety, upper back and neck tension, or thoracic cage pain? A tight or dysfunctional diaphragm may be contributing to your problem.
The diaphragm is a very large, dome-shaped muscle that sits at the bottom of your thoracic cage, and attaches to your sternum, ribs and spine. This muscles main role is to facilitate respiration, so naturally this muscle is constantly engaging. Many important structures pass through this muscle, including the oesophagus (where our food travels down to our stomach), major nerves, arteries and veins. Having such close anatomical interactions with these important structures means that having a tight diaphragm can have an impact and contribute to some of the following issues:
- Stress and anxiety
- Upper back and neck tension
- Digestive issues (such as reflux)
- Insomnia
- Thoracic cage pain
- Shortness of breath and respiratory symptoms
How can a tight or dysfunctional diaphragm contribute to your stress and anxiety? There are multiple reasons identified through research that explain to us why treating the diaphragm can be an effective way to treat stress and anxiety. Tight and dysfunctional diaphragms restrict the ability of our thoracic cages to expand and contract, limiting the size of our breaths and the amount of oxygen that we can inhale. This can lead to shallow and fast breathing. Through research we know that by slowing our breathing down and taking in more oxygen at a time we increase the saturation of gasses in our blood. Releasing our diaphragm and focusing on our breathing also has similar psychological effects on our emotional balance, stress and anxiety as meditation and other mindfulness practices, such as Tai-Chi and yoga.
Treatment of the diaphragm is also a very useful tool for people who are recovering from illnesses that have affected their respiratory system, particularly if they have been experiencing lots of coughing. When we people cough, our diaphragm contracts very forcefully in order to rapidly increase the intrathoracic pressure within our thoracic cavity, and force out any obstructions within the chest. Naturally, as a by-product of this process, our diaphragm can become very tight and dysfunctional and lead to tightness within our thoracic cage. Osteopathic practitioners are able to manually release the diaphragm, much like any other muscle in the body, and get it to relax and function correctly. Osteopathic practitioners can also teach patients proper diaphragmatic breathing, which is also a very effective therapeutic activity.