Breathing Mechanics and Postural Neck Pain

If you have chronic neck pain that does not respond to traditional treatment, your breathing pattern may be a contributing factor. Dysfunctional breathing — using your neck and upper chest muscles instead of your diaphragm — creates constant tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders.

The connection: When you breathe primarily with your upper chest (apical breathing), muscles like the scalenes, sternocleidomastoid, and upper trapezius work overtime. These are meant to be accessory breathing muscles for heavy exertion, not your primary breathing muscles at rest. Over time, they become chronically tight and develop trigger points.

Signs of dysfunctional breathing: - Visible chest/shoulder rise with each breath - Inability to take a deep belly breath - Breathing rate above 14 breaths per minute at rest - Neck and shoulder tension that returns despite treatment - Feeling short of breath or sighing frequently

How to retrain your breathing: 1. Lie on your back with one hand on your chest and one on your belly 2. Breathe in through your nose — only your belly hand should rise 3. Exhale slowly through pursed lips 4. Practice 5 minutes, 3 times daily 5. Gradually integrate into sitting and standing positions

Retraining your breathing pattern can significantly reduce chronic neck tension. At Helix, we assess breathing mechanics as part of our comprehensive evaluation for neck pain patients.