People suffering from breathing disorders often have many tensions and restrictions in their rib cage. Whether they suffer from asthma, chronic bronchitis, reduced breathing from old rib fractures, emphysema or some other chronic respiratory problem, osteopathy can help. This is achieved by improving the elasticity of the rib cage, easing muscle tension to reduce respiratory fatigue, and helping the person cope with their condition more readily.
Breathing exercises, rib stretching and postural advice can be given which helps to maintain better respiratory function alongside treatment. It is not always possible to resolve the underlying condition which may be related to other diseases or allergies, for example, but a better quality of life can be achieved and sometimes a reliance on medication can be reduced. Osteopathic management with respiratory disorders may be done in conjunction with your G.P. or other healthcare professionals.
As one of the most common presenting conditions to Osteopaths is asthma the information below may be invaluable.
Why are osteopaths interested in asthma?
Asthma is a common and sometimes debilitating respiratory disorder which can affect people of all ages. About one in ten Australians suffers from asthma at some time during their lives.
Sufferers experience breathing difficulties, wheezing, discomfort or pain in the chest, tightness in the chest, and sometimes coughing, shaking and vomiting as well. Each suffer's experience is individual, and not all asthma attacks are the same. There are common features though, and each asthma sufferer has to some degree mechanical changes in their rib cage, tension and fatigue in the respiratory muscles (including the diaphragm), poorer movement in the spine, neck and shoulder girdle and often, tension in the head and jaw.
These changes only serve to complicate the picture of each person's asthma, whether it is allergic (and triggered by pollen or what or dairy products, for example) or non-allergic, and triggered by physical exercise or stress, for example.
Osteopaths are interested in asthma, as they can detect these physical changes, and help to alleviate them over time. Keeping the chest, lungs, respiratory muscles and surrounding areas of the spine, shoulders, neck and throat freer and more elastic seems to help in lessening the asthma to some degree, and may also help to reduce the need for some asthma medication, on occasion.
