Body Time

On Breathing...
Massage Therapists know that tension is found in muscles which are involved in frequently repeated actions; in particular, if those actions are performed in an incorrect manner. We breathe 17,000-30,000 times per day, which makes breathing one of the most frequently repeated actions in our daily lives.

Dysfunctions in breath-related muscles can in turn lead to inefficient breathing, and the cycle repeats. Hyperventilation, or over-breathing, creates problems in muscles including the scalenes, pectorals, serratus anterior, serratus posterior, upper trapezius, and posterior neck muscles (chronic neck tension may result from chronic hyperventilation).

Breathing is a type of self-massage. Every time we take an in-breath, our spine loses it’s curves. As we breathe out, those curves are formed again. Each breath, then, contracts and elongates our musculoskeletal structure. In addition, the movement of the diaphragm maintains and equalizes pressures between the thoracic and abdominal cavities. The key to correct breathing lies in optimizing oxygen uptake in the tissues by normalizing levels of CO2, a process called eucapnic breathing. Using this slow, controlled abdominal breathing is one way a person can begin to normalize the levels of CO2 in the lungs.
-Massage Magazine, Sept./Oct. 1998

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