Asthma
Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the lungs and is usually characterised by a cough, wheeze, chest tightness and difficulty breathing. It is often put down to an over sensitivity of the airways to a range of stimuli, including dust, dust-mites, pollen, fungal spores, pollutants, vapours and fumes, cold air, exercise and sometimes emotional upset. Childhood sufferers often ‘grow out’ of this over-sensitivity but for unknown reasons their condition sometimes returns around the 3rd or 4th decade of life.
The role of the musculoskeletal system in maintaining and exacerbating this condition is not often talked about, but can also be an important factor. Effective breathing relies on having full movement in the area known as the thoracic cage or thorax. The bony thorax is made up of:
• the twelve pairs of ribs;
• the twelve thoracic vertebrae, which form the backbone of the midback;
• the breast bone (or sternum), which joins the upper ribs together at the front of the chest.
When put together these components form a cage shape. The joints between the ribs and the thoracic vertebrae at the back, and between the ribs and the breast bone at the front, must be able to move freely within their normal range in order to allow maximum chest expansion when we breathe.
When we take a breathe, we do so using the intercostal muscles between the ribs and the large, dome shaped diaphragm muscle, which fills the entire space at the floor of the thoracic cage. But we also recruit a large number of other muscles in our chest, back, abdomen and especially in the neck and shoulder region. The effort it takes us to move all the components of the chest wall - our breathing muscles, the bony thorax and our actual lung tissue - in order to take a breath, is known as “the work of breathing”.
People with this condition often overuse the muscles in their neck, back and shoulder regions as they struggle to take a deep breath. If they are continually overused, these muscles can become tight and shortened and in turn they can restrict the movements of the bony thorax. As everything gets tighter the work of breathing increases, requiring even more effort to breathe. What is more, as the respiratory muscles shorten they are thought to send signals to the brain, which increase the sense of breathlessness. Factors such as stress, excessive computer use, driving and drinking too much caffeine can also shorten these muscles, compounding the situation for the individual.
Individuals experiencing this condition hyperventilate or over breathe and ultimately they may struggle to maintain the work of breathing as their respiratory muscles become exhausted. It is this muscle exhaustion which eventually leads to respiratory failure.
If expansion of the rib cage is restricted over time, breathing can tend to become shallow and concentrated in the area of the upper chest, and this in turns means the breathing rate has to increase to compensate. When we shallow breathe quickly we may blow off excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, which can make the lung tissues excessively alkaline and lead to earlier exhaustion of our breathing muscles.
It therefore becomes clear that having a mobile bony thorax and long, elastic and well functioning respiratory muscles is essential to all of us if we are to breathe efficiently. For asthmatics, this is even more crucial in order to prevent musculoskeletal restrictions from exacerbating and prolonging their condition.
Osteopathic treatment aims to improve the mobility of the bony thorax through gentle articulation and stretching of the ribs and thoracic spine and by releasing specific joint restrictions. The osteopath will also work to relax the diaphragm, lengthen the other respiratory muscles and improve their function using direct soft tissue techniques and muscle energy techniques, which reset stretch receptors in the muscles. The treatment aims to improve the compliance or “stretchability” of the chest wall and help to reduce the work of breathing. The osteopath will also offer advice and breathing exercises which can help to manage the condition in the long term. Treatment can be adapted for patients of any age, from very young children showing first signs of asthma, to frail and elderly patients experiencing breathing difficulties.
The osteopath will always take a full medical history to ensure that patients are receiving the appropriate medical help and, if necessary, he or she can refer a patient back to their GP. Osteopathic treatment for is not meant as a substitute for GP prescribed medication such as inhalers, but can work alongside medical treatment to help the patient lead a less stressful and more active life. By reducing respiratory muscle exhaustion and changing the pattern of shallow breathing, osteopathic treatment may also help to diminish some of the primary signs and symptoms of the condition.
To find an osteopath in your area who can help, please follow the link below:
Asthma
Written by Helen Wither, Registered Osteopath. To contact Helen, please click here
The role of the musculoskeletal system in maintaining and exacerbating this condition is not often talked about, but can also be an important factor. Effective breathing relies on having full movement in the area known as the thoracic cage or thorax. The bony thorax is made up of:
• the twelve pairs of ribs;
• the twelve thoracic vertebrae, which form the backbone of the midback;
• the breast bone (or sternum), which joins the upper ribs together at the front of the chest.
When put together these components form a cage shape. The joints between the ribs and the thoracic vertebrae at the back, and between the ribs and the breast bone at the front, must be able to move freely within their normal range in order to allow maximum chest expansion when we breathe.
When we take a breathe, we do so using the intercostal muscles between the ribs and the large, dome shaped diaphragm muscle, which fills the entire space at the floor of the thoracic cage. But we also recruit a large number of other muscles in our chest, back, abdomen and especially in the neck and shoulder region. The effort it takes us to move all the components of the chest wall - our breathing muscles, the bony thorax and our actual lung tissue - in order to take a breath, is known as “the work of breathing”.
People with this condition often overuse the muscles in their neck, back and shoulder regions as they struggle to take a deep breath. If they are continually overused, these muscles can become tight and shortened and in turn they can restrict the movements of the bony thorax. As everything gets tighter the work of breathing increases, requiring even more effort to breathe. What is more, as the respiratory muscles shorten they are thought to send signals to the brain, which increase the sense of breathlessness. Factors such as stress, excessive computer use, driving and drinking too much caffeine can also shorten these muscles, compounding the situation for the individual.
Individuals experiencing this condition hyperventilate or over breathe and ultimately they may struggle to maintain the work of breathing as their respiratory muscles become exhausted. It is this muscle exhaustion which eventually leads to respiratory failure.
If expansion of the rib cage is restricted over time, breathing can tend to become shallow and concentrated in the area of the upper chest, and this in turns means the breathing rate has to increase to compensate. When we shallow breathe quickly we may blow off excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, which can make the lung tissues excessively alkaline and lead to earlier exhaustion of our breathing muscles.
It therefore becomes clear that having a mobile bony thorax and long, elastic and well functioning respiratory muscles is essential to all of us if we are to breathe efficiently. For asthmatics, this is even more crucial in order to prevent musculoskeletal restrictions from exacerbating and prolonging their condition.
Osteopathic treatment aims to improve the mobility of the bony thorax through gentle articulation and stretching of the ribs and thoracic spine and by releasing specific joint restrictions. The osteopath will also work to relax the diaphragm, lengthen the other respiratory muscles and improve their function using direct soft tissue techniques and muscle energy techniques, which reset stretch receptors in the muscles. The treatment aims to improve the compliance or “stretchability” of the chest wall and help to reduce the work of breathing. The osteopath will also offer advice and breathing exercises which can help to manage the condition in the long term. Treatment can be adapted for patients of any age, from very young children showing first signs of asthma, to frail and elderly patients experiencing breathing difficulties.
The osteopath will always take a full medical history to ensure that patients are receiving the appropriate medical help and, if necessary, he or she can refer a patient back to their GP. Osteopathic treatment for is not meant as a substitute for GP prescribed medication such as inhalers, but can work alongside medical treatment to help the patient lead a less stressful and more active life. By reducing respiratory muscle exhaustion and changing the pattern of shallow breathing, osteopathic treatment may also help to diminish some of the primary signs and symptoms of the condition.
To find an osteopath in your area who can help, please follow the link below:
Asthma
Written by Helen Wither, Registered Osteopath. To contact Helen, please click here
