The Link Between Breathing and Chronic Neck Pain

Hey there, let's talk about a topic that hits close to home for millions of people out there: chronic neck pain. It's a real pain in the neck, am I right? Pun intended. But did you know that inefficient breathing can be a major culprit behind the development and persistence of neck pain? Yep, recent research has shown that how we breathe can have a major impact on our neck and shoulder muscles.

What is Chronic Neck Pain?

First off, let's define what we mean by chronic neck pain. It's basically when you experience persistent discomfort or pain in your neck area for more than 12 weeks. There can be a variety of causes behind it, such as poor posture, muscle strains or sprains, herniated discs, or degenerative disc disease. It can also be a symptom of underlying conditions like osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, or spinal stenosis.

Symptoms of chronic neck pain can vary from person to person but may include:

• A dull or aching pain that is present all the time

• Stiffness and limited range of motion in the neck

• Headaches that originate from the neck

• Tenderness or soreness in the neck muscles

• Radiating pain or numbness in the shoulders, arms, or hands

Why Inefficient Breathing Can Cause Neck Pain 

So, what's the deal with inefficient breathing? Well, breathing is essential for getting oxygen into our bodies and removing carbon dioxide. But when we don't breathe properly, it can put unnecessary tension and strain on our neck and shoulder muscles. And that can lead to chronic pain.

See, when we breathe inefficiently, our neck muscles have to work harder to make up for the lack of support from our respiratory muscles. This extra workload can cause muscle strain and tension, which leads to pain and discomfort.

Inefficient breathing can be caused by a lot of different things, such as poor posture, stress, anxiety, or respiratory conditions like asthma or COPD. When we slouch or hunch over, we compress our ribcage and limit the movement of our diaphragm, which makes it harder to breathe deeply. And that, in turn, can cause our neck muscles to overwork and become fatigued, resulting in pain and stiffness.

There are a few different breathing inefficiencies that can contribute to neck pain. For example, if you breathe using your chest muscles instead of your diaphragm, it can cause your neck to arch back with each inhale and exhale, which tightens the muscles. So try diaphragmatic breathing instead, which is deeper and more effective and keeps your neck in a neutral alignment.

Or maybe you're taking small, quick breaths that don't fully expand your lungs. That's called shallow breathing, and it requires more breaths per minute and more work from your neck muscles. Slow, deep breathing is more efficient and reduces neck tension.

If your ribcage is rigid and doesn't expand fully with breathing, your neck muscles have to compensate by tightening and pulling in your collarbones. That can cause neck pain and headaches over time. Focusing on expanding your ribcage with each breath can help unlock this pattern.

And watch out for breathing through your mouth instead of your nose, which can cause dryness in your mouth and throat and lead to irritation and inflammation. This can result in neck pain and stiffness as your muscles try to compensate for the discomfort.

Finally, some people hold their breath when they're concentrating or feeling stressed, which can cause tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders. This tension can lead to neck pain and discomfort. Not fun.

So there you have it. Inefficient breathing can be a major contributor to chronic neck pain. But now that you know what to watch out for, you can start taking steps to breathe more efficiently and reduce that pain and discomfort. Your neck (and your entire body) will thank you for it!