Back to Basics: Breathing Techniques for Spinal Health and Rehabilitation

Throwing out your back can be such an excruciating experience that it literally takes your breath away.

I remember once, about 10 years ago, I walked into a friend's house, and he had thrown his back out earlier in the day. Just the smallest movement caused his whole body to seize up. I could see the pain in his face and I felt horrible.

Later on, I realized that this is a problem so many people struggle with, and for most, it’s a recurring issue.

One thing that was so eye-opening to me was learning that the spine and our breathing are so intricately connected that injuring ourselves can have a huge effect on how we breathe, and in turn, affect all of our neurological and physiological processes in the body.

In contrast, we could develop a poor breathing pattern, that is, breathing at low capacity, i.e., shallow breathing, and this can cause discomfort, pain, and other imbalances and misalignment in the spine. So it can go either way.

The fact that we have soft connective tissues directly connecting to the lumbar spine, low back, and our diaphragm, means that we actually have some control over how we manage our pain.

Breathing is one of those things that our body naturally does without us needing to think about it, but we can also take control through focus and intention.

In Chinese medicine, Qigong, Bagua and Tai Chi, we look at pain and discomfort as a lack of movement, obstruction of the flow of blood, fluids, and energy, Chi, throughout the space that is dealing with pain.

So when we throw out our back and the result is pain and discomfort, tension, the way I look at that is something is not moving.

So we can recreate and reestablish more flow through the area of the spine that is misaligned, which in turn alleviates pain and stress.

Now, the first few breaths are likely going to feel very uncomfortable. The trick is to inhale very slowly and carefully and exhale in the same fashion. What people find is after a few breaths of deep, abdominal breathing, breathing unforced into the lower abdomen and feeling it expand in all directions, can help push blood and fluids and energy through the obstructed area in the back.

The diaphragm, which helps us breathe, also has connections to the rib cage and the sternum. So when we breathe fully into our lungs, and into our lower abdomen, it has an effect across the entire spine, and in turn, relieves pain, calms the nervous system, and promotes circulation.

If this is something that you’ve never tried before, it can change your entire life, and that’s not hyperbole.

Give it a try right now, no matter what you’re doing. You can be sitting, standing, or laying down on your back. The purpose is to engage in what we refer to as observational breathing. What does that mean? It means watching your breath enter and leave your body.

This can take some patience and focus, but it’s well worth the effort. You want to hold your attention in your lower abdomen region, a few inches below the belly button, in front of the low back, and in the perineum area.

We want that space in our lower torso to absorb our awareness, so we can literally have a tangible connection to our breathing. The breath will not fall into that area if the diaphragm does not expand and drop.

This means you’ll likely have to focus on releasing tension from your lower back. Give yourself some time as this may not come easily in the first minute or two. The more you practice this observation of breathing and filling your lower belly with your breath, the faster your body will recover, and the better chance you have at preventing this from happening moving forward.

The beauty of this practice is that you can practice it no matter what time of the day or what you are doing. We’re constantly holding ourselves in alignment and breathing. The goal here is to create more awareness around how you are doing that moment to moment, so we can regulate our breathing and our posture.

Pain relief and stress relief are simply two of the benefits that are had by engaging in observational breathing practices. There are many more benefits that are all byproducts of simply doing what our body was intended to do.

If you’re struggling with any kind of back pain or neck pain, any conditions related to spinal health, and are looking for more support and guidance, schedule a free consultation and let’s see if we can get you back to feeling yourself again.