Diaphragmatic breathing
You don't need to be Editor-In-Chief to add or edit content to WikiDoc. You can begin to add to or edit text on this WikiDoc page by clicking on the edit button at the top of this page. Next enter or edit the information that you would like to appear here. Once you are done editing, scroll down and click the Save page button at the bottom of the page.
| Diaphragmatic breathing Classification and external resources |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Phone:617-525-6884
Please Join in Editing This Page and Apply to be an Editor-In-Chief for this topic: There can be one or more than one Editor-In-Chief. You may also apply to be an Associate Editor-In-Chief of one of the subtopics below. Please mail us [2] to indicate your interest in serving either as an Editor-In-Chief of the entire topic or as an Associate Editor-In-Chief for a subtopic. Please be sure to attach your CV and or biographical sketch.
Overview
Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing is the act of breathing deep into your lungs by flexing your diaphragm rather than breathing shallowly by flexing your rib cage.
This deep breathing is marked by expansion of the stomach (abdomen) rather than the chest when breathing. It is generally considered a healthier and fuller way to ingest oxygen, and is often used as a therapy for hyperventilation and anxiety disorders.
Performing diaphragmatic breathing can be therapeutic, and with enough practice, can become your standard way of breathing.
To breathe diaphragmatically, or with the diaphragm, one must draw air into the lungs in a way which will expand the stomach and not the chest. It is best to perform these breaths as long, slow intakes of air - allowing the body to absorb all of the inhaled oxygen while simultaneously relaxing the breather. To do this comfortably, it is often best to loosen tight-fitting pants/belts/skirts as these can interfere with the body's ability to intake air.
While at first one may not feel comfortable not expanding the chest during breathing, diaphragmatic breathing actually fills up the majority of the lungs with oxygen, much more than chest-breathing or shallow breathing.
Exercises
A common diaphragmatic breathing exercise is as follows:
- Sit or lie comfortably, with loose garments.
- Put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach.
- Slowly inhale through your nose or through pursed lips (to slow down the intake of breath).
- As you inhale, feel your stomach expand with your hand. If your chest expands, focus on breathing with your diaphragm.
- Slowly exhale through pursed lips to regulate the release of air.
- Rest and repeat.
Caveat
One thing to note is that for some, the diaphragm is dysfunctional or entirely non-functional, in which case one should focus on slow inhalation and exhalation (through the nose and pursed lips).
See also
References
- Staying Healthy and How to Perform Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Diaphragmatic Breath
- Diaphragmatic Breathing
- Diaphragmatic Breathing for Anxiety Disorders
External links
- Rapid deep breathing - hyperventilation
- Breathing deeply to relax
- Deep Breathing Techniques
- Diaphragmatic Breath
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
