Breathing is essential for life. It is an automatic process, which means it happens without thinking or considered action on our part as it is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Yet it can go wrong.
In normal breathing, the diaphragm is active. Where breathing rhythm is chronically abnormal, usually due to lifestyle factors such as stress and its effects on mechanical function, (explained here), this can lead to what is known as a breathing pattern disorder. This means an overuse of the wrong muscles in the upper chest rather than the diaphragm, to breathe. This can lead to tension and pain in muscles of the upper chest cavity that are overused. Breathing therapy, as part of a larger protocol, alongside remedial massage and other neuromuscular therapies seeks to restore diaphragmatic breathing to relief over-activity in accessory breathing muscles.
Overall, this has a de-stressing effect as it calms the autonomic nervous system and helps reduce other symptoms of its overstimulation such as breathlessness and other symptoms of over-breathing. Disruption to diaphragmatic breathing also has consequences for other systems of the abdominal cavity that the diaphragm interacts with.
Please note: We operate a 48-hour cancellation policy. Appointments cancelled or postponed within this period will be subject to the full treatment fee.