How breathing can influence your lower back pain… or any pain.

Here’s a video of the “tube man” down the street from IFAST. He dances by altering his internal pressure. Strangely enough, humans are very similar.

We create changes in the shape of our bodies every time we breathe and create movement via fluid (air or water) pressure changes to overcome the forces that are applied by gravity, exercise, and the different positions our body may assume during the day. If we didn’t produce pressure internally, we’d most likely collapse and be stuck with the movement capabilities of a boneless chicken.

Ever grunt or hold your breath when you lifted something heavy? You did this to create pressure so your body doesn’t collapse under the extra load of the object.

The greater our ability to manipulate the pressures inside our body, the greater our tendency to move well or accomplish a task. When we fail to shift or manipulate the internal pressures, movement is restricted or biased.

Breathing (our major pressure changer) can also become limited or patterned due to stress, repetitive or constant postures, and activities.  In this case, we will tend to have a limited repertoire of movement because breathing is the priority vs. being able to touch our toes or some other movement. We may be limited to such a degree that we lose the ability to dissipate or distribute stress, tension, or pressure throughout the body. In this case, focal pressure and tensions build up and may result in pain. Ask any couch potato how their back could just start hurting for no reason.

Remember the last time you had to sit on an uncomfortable chair for an extended period of time and your butt started to hurt. Too much pressure in one place for too long. Pain anywhere in the body can simply be the same problem.

Before you try stretching painful muscles that you blame for a lack flexibility or perform some isolated exercise to try to strengthen one muscle, consider how breathing may be an influence.

Do you have a question about an ache or pain that won’t go away?

Have you tried physical therapy in the past without success?

Have you had a surgery and still have ongoing pain?

IFAST Physical Therapy in Indianapolis offers a free injury consultation. During your consultation, we’ll answer your questions and address your concerns as to why you may have ongoing challenges and pain. We’ll give you an opportunity to see why IFAST Physical Therapy is different from anything you’ve tried before. We can help.

Call today to set up your appointment at

317-578-0998 or email us at [email protected]