How do you breathe?

[Qikdraw]

I'm just curious... How do you breathe? Does your stomach or chest rise when you breathe?

My stomach rises when I breathe, and I'm just wondering if thats a scoliosis thing, or maybe because I wore a brace as a child (ages 2-14). Or maybe its because my insides are all bunched up? I had surgery before puberty so I still have the same size back as I did when I was 12 years old. (I'm 5'6" with a 32" inseam. )

Just curious...

Brad

[txmarinemom]

Your upper stomach *should* rise (your diaphragm), and I'm 5'2" with a 32" inseam ... take that! LOL ...

Oddly enough, it doesn't look "odd".

[discombobulated]

Hi Brad,

When your abdo region rises as you breathe in, it's because you're drawing in a deep breath using your diaphragm muscle that lies under your ribs to expand your lungs. It's a much more effective way of breathing (ie. provides a deeper breath of more air) than relying on the ribcage to draw the lungs outward to breathe. On the upside, it's the way the PTs were telling me to breathe post-op on my first 2 fusions (even though I already was - just shallow-ly!), & it's less pain than ribcage-breathing. Good-stuff!

It iss possible you learnt to diaphragm ("deep") breathe during your time in the brace, since there's little room for the ribcage to do the job.. I've breathed with the diaphragm for as long as I can remember, even though it's usually a method that has to be taught, & even though I was only braced for a couple of months. I do think it has something to do with how compressed my heart & lungs were getting with my thoracic curve (that I had worsening right through childhood) - my body learnt that this was the way to get the most air with least heart/lungeffort. Also, I find it's the only way I can get a "proper" breath in now with my lumbar 75* or so. Which leads me to a question, if you don't mind me asking in your thread...

Even though I wouldn't have thought a lumbar curve could affect the lungs badly, I have felt that as my lumbar curve progresses again, my left lung just ain't doing its job! So I'm relying more & more on the diaphragmatic breathing. I, too, was fused both thoracic & later lumbar pre-puberty so have a very short torso - I guess it makes sense that even the upper organs might be prone to being squashed by a lumbar curve when there's not much space to begin with?? Has anyone else experienced this?

Well, sorry to ramble again (man, I must have a reputation around here by now ).

I'll be interested to hear whether many others breathe this way, or if we're just "special"

Cheers.

[Nekochan]

I had a complication after my surgery (13 years ago) . It was pleurisy. One of my lungs hardly worked. But then Thanks God I started taking vocal clases and learned correct diaphragmatic breathing and because of that I feel much much better. I still have some shortness of breathening but nothing compared to what I had after that failed surgery.

[Qikdraw]

Your upper stomach *should* rise (your diaphragm), and I'm 5'2" with a 32" inseam ... take that! LOL ...

Oddly enough, it doesn't look "odd".

Yeah well long legs on a woman is considered a good thing. If I tuck my shirt into my pants I look like Erkle or Ed Grimley.

Brad

[Qikdraw]

Hi Brad,

When your abdo region rises as you breathe in, it's because you're drawing in a deep breath using your diaphragm muscle that lies under your ribs to expand your lungs. It's a much more effective way of breathing (ie. provides a deeper breath of more air) than relying on the ribcage to draw the lungs outward to breathe. On the upside, it's the way the PTs were telling me to breathe post-op on my first 2 fusions (even though I already was - just shallow-ly!), & it's less pain than ribcage-breathing. Good-stuff!

Back when I lived in Vancouver, B.C. I worked with a girl that did massage therapy on the side, as well as some Tantra stuff, I was really in a lot of pain on day and she saw that and offered to give me a massage that night. One of the things we started with was breathing, and she said to breathe from my stomach, but I already was! lol We had a chuckle about that and after that she gave me a very nice massage.

It iss possible you learnt to diaphragm ("deep") breathe during your time in the brace, since there's little room for the ribcage to do the job.. I've breathed with the diaphragm for as long as I can remember, even though it's usually a method that has to be taught, & even though I was only braced for a couple of months. I do think it has something to do with how compressed my heart & lungs were getting with my thoracic curve (that I had worsening right through childhood) - my body learnt that this was the way to get the most air with least heart/lungeffort. Also, I find it's the only way I can get a "proper" breath in now with my lumbar 75* or so. Which leads me to a question, if you don't mind me asking in your thread...

Well I do know that one of my lungs never had a chance to grow properly, and the rush to my surgery was becaus I was already having breathing problems. So it is quite possible I just learned it through necessity.

Even though I wouldn't have thought a lumbar curve could affect the lungs badly, I have felt that as my lumbar curve progresses again, my left lung just ain't doing its job! So I'm relying more & more on the diaphragmatic breathing. I, too, was fused both thoracic & later lumbar pre-puberty so have a very short torso - I guess it makes sense that even the upper organs might be prone to being squashed by a lumbar curve when there's not much space to begin with?? Has anyone else experienced this?

Well since I have moved to the US (7 years ago) I have gained about 40 lbs, all right in my belly. Its not the US that mad me gain weight, I have to say , but because I am less active. I lost some after I got my green card and started working, but since Jan when my back gave out I have gained weight back and more. I am finding the extra mass around my stomach does press in on my internal organs, sometimes when I bend down I get a sharp pain in my stomach area too. I am trying to work it down, but its hard when my back hurts to do much.

Well, sorry to ramble again (man, I must have a reputation around here by now ).

I'll be interested to hear whether many others breathe this way, or if we're just "special"

Cheers.

We are 'special'. But hey at least we brethe better than normal!

(You might have noticed I tend to ramble too. lol)

Brad

[augemac]

Yeah well long legs on a woman is considered a good thing. If I tuck my shirt into my pants I look like Erkle or Ed Grimley.

Brad

I like the fact that I can say 5'1" w/ 32" inseam!! It is wonderful to be a woman comfortable with herself and to meet other women and men just like myself!! A CHEER TO ALL!!!

And I didn't realize that we breathe like that. But good to realize. Thanks

[Carmell]

More random thoughts on breathing, from a parent of a child who is an abdominal breather...

1. Breathing normally occurs with both the chest and diaphragm. The natural motion of breathing in and out is what helps develop the bone tissue in the rib cage. If the ribs don't move in and out, the ribs are not fully formed and are often softer than normal. Good, strong, solid ribs come from breathing with your chest and diaphram.

2. Many people with scoliosis - especially with congenital scoliosis - are abdominal breathers. I don't know why, other than their chest wall structure just doesn't support chest breathing. Braydon has had pulmonologists do the test to determine what type of breather he is. If you have a scoliosis patient stand in front of you, then put your hands on the back of their ribs (palms on or just under the scapula) SOFTLY, then just feel them breathe. Braydon's right side (concave side of his scoliosis) doesn't move at all. His left side moves slightly. Nothing scientific here, nor very important, mostly just interesting.

3. Because of Braydon's abdominal breathing, his ribs were softer than they should be when he had his VEPTR implant surgery. They had to attach his VEPTR rods around two ribs, instead of one, for stability, because of the softness.

4. I know many young children who were braced or cast as infants/toddlers. They are ALL diagnosed with underdeveloped ribs. One was so underdeveloped/soft that he did not qualify for VEPTR implants. The rods would tear right through the rib tissue. Not good, especially when you don't have many options for a young child with severe scoliosis, other than fusion.

[discombobulated]

Wow, that's a pretty scary kind of (possible) side-effect of bracing, Carmell! I have osteoporosis (LONG story!), but I'm now glad I barely wore my brace...I'd hate to think what my ribcage would be like now!!

It really caught my attention when you said that the concave side of Braydon's ribcage doesn't move with breathing. When I do "chest breathe", my right side moves, but the left barely does (even though my curve is lumbar; concave left). I have to sleep on my right side because of pain when I lie on my left side & back, but I have to be rolled slightly backwards with a pillow behind my back, or else I feel as though I just can't get a deep breath in, even with abdo breathing. I'm so hoping that my left side will be improved with surgery.

Really interesting stuff......

[Qikdraw]

More random thoughts on breathing, from a parent of a child who is an abdominal breather...

Wow Carmell, that is a lot of cool information! Thank you for sharing. As I was reading your post I was tesing my ribs and my left side (my concave side), do not move. Not even when I try chest breathing.

Brad