Neck pain is common among millions of people worldwide. Did you know that incorrect breathing may be the cause? Dr. Firoz Al-Sharif, a consultant in physical therapy and rehabilitation, explains that natural breathing comes from the diaphragm, the main muscle responsible for breathing. However, when the body needs a larger breath, the muscles around the rib cage, shoulders, and neck start to assist in the process to expand the chest area to accommodate a greater amount of air.
Dr. Firoz adds that one of the incorrect habits most people have is relying on chest breathing, which overly engages the neck and shoulder muscles beyond their normal capacity. Since breathing is a dynamic process that occurs continuously throughout life, this excessive strain on these muscles can lead to chronic pain and discomfort in the neck and shoulders for many.
Dr. Firoz emphasizes that, for this reason, the muscles around the neck and shoulders often become tight, accompanied by pain when pressure is applied, indicating fatigue and a need to relax. She also notes that due to this incorrect breathing, the shoulder muscles are often tense and positioned upwards and forwards. People tend to treat this issue with warm compresses or massages, which may relieve the pain temporarily, but the problem persists because the underlying breathing issue is not addressed.
Dr. Firoz recommends that individuals should get accustomed to proper abdominal and diaphragmatic breathing. This can be easily practiced in yoga sessions or by placing one hand on the stomach and the other on the chest to observe which one moves first when beginning to breathe. The goal is to train the brain to send signals to the diaphragm to control the breathing process. This method requires continuous practice until the body learns to breathe correctly automatically.
