7 Possible Causes of Back Pain From Breathing
7 Possible Causes of Back Pain From Breathing
Lately we received an interesting question from patients asking about causes of back pain from breathing. So we decided to cover this topic on today’s blog. We will be explaining a few of the main causes of this, where their sources are, and what you can do about them.
Let’s begin
Muscle Strain
Cause number one is muscle strain. Initially patients come in and they have some tight muscles. They’re feeling the pain in their neck, their shoulders, or their upper back. This is usually attributed to a muscle strain. These can happen from maintaining a prolonged posture, from exercising or from any sort of abrupt movement that can irritate the muscle.
A chiropractor can help alleviate pain associated with muscle strain. They can help by stretching out the tissues, making sure those muscles are moving as much as they can. Chiropractors would work in conjunction with the physiotherapist to strengthen these muscle muscles, and ensure that the range in motion is adequate.
Costovertebral Joint Irritation
The second most common cause of back pain from breathing is irritation of the costovertebral joints. That is the rib joint. It can articulate in the near back and also articulate in the front.
A lot of patients come in and they’re experiencing a sharp or stabbing like pain in their mid back. The pain appears particularly between their scapula or their shoulder blades. This is often where the rib is articulating with the spine or the vertebrae. When these get irritated, it reproduces such a severe pain that patients have a hard time getting a full breath. Patients can also experience very shallow breaths in the meantime.
Costochondritis
Another cause of pain with breathing is Costochondritis. This condition affects the anterior or the front articulations of the ribs where they’re attaching to the cartilage and the sternum in the front. These cartilages can get irritated and inflamed.
Costochondritis can come on insidiously. Sometimes patients are just waking up with pain, or when they’re twisting up on position and they’re finding that irritation in the front. As well, it could be happening from exercise or sometimes even after a cold where there is a lot of coughing or sneezing.
A visit to our Chiropractor, Physiotherapist and even Naturopath is recommended for patients with costovertebral joint irritation or costochondritis. We can work to reduce any inflammation using acupuncture, soft tissue to release any muscles that are tight in the area, and do any sort of joint mobilization or manipulation as needed to make sure the joints are moving at the best that they can be.
Facet Joint Irritation
The facet joints are two joints at the back of the spine connecting one vertebra to the other. Facet joints main role is to allow movement (twist and bend) and flexibility in the back. (We explain Facet joints in this video)
Facet joint irritation frequently happens in the mid back area. Patients find it can be painful to bend forward, to lean backwards, or to turn side to side. Typically it presents a local sharp pain, sometimes stabbing, but patients do not experience any sort of symptoms elsewhere.
There are very good treatments we can do to heal the facet joints. Chiropractors work with the physiotherapist to ensure that all the muscles are working properly and that you’re maintaining a good posture. Additionally, chiropractic mobilizations and manipulations are very effective in treating this condition. Since the joints aren’t functioning or moving the way that they should be, he focus on the treatment is to release the joints from any obstruction, and to regain proper rage of motion in the back.
Disc Herniation
Another cause of back pain more breathing could be any disc irritation or a disc herniation. These typically happen in a forward flex position if you’re lifting something off the floor.
Frequently, one would not usually associate a disc herniation with pain when breathing, but it does happen. Any sort of coughing or deep breath expands the rib cages, increasing that abdominal pressure. This can trigger pain in the lower back, upper back, and in some cases, even referred down to the leg.
In this case, our staff will first focus on treating the disc herniation. The main goal is to get that disc into a proper position where it’s not irritating any of the nerves. Subsequently, we will heal any other direct or referred pain that arose from this. Chiropractors are specifically trained to identify and treat disc irritations or disc herniation.
Upper Crossed Syndrome
Any sort of structural changes can cause back pain when breathing. Most commonly, patients are presenting with sort of slumped forward position. Their head is often slightly anterior to where it should be on their shoulders. We call this posture upper crossed syndrome.
As a result, patients end up with tight pack muscle, and tight upper back and traps, with weak deep neck flexors, and weak lower traps and lower back muscles. This muscle imbalance continuously compromises the structures of the back by just pulling you into that poor posture.
Chiropractors, Physiotherapist and Massage Therapist can help you get into proper posture. We would work on stretching the tight muscles so they can move the way they need to, and strengthening the weak one in order to create muscle balance, and all your joints can be aligned more appropriately.
Chest Breathing
Lastly, back pain from breathing can happen as a result of your breathing patterns in general.
A lot of people are chest breathers. This means that their breath is usually very shallow, and they rely on using their accessory muscles (the scalene muscles, pack minor, and some of the smaller muscles in the neck and upper back) to help move the rib cage so that they can get a full breath.
Ideally, patients would be belly breathers. This means that when they fill up their chest, their stomach is also filling up. This benefits patients by allowing them to take a big deep breath, expanding the ribs and getting the full amount of air that their lungs can hold.
Chiropractors will work with the Physiotherapists to train the body to go from chest breathing to belly breathing. In addition, working on the soft tissues and joints will be required as these muscles can become very tight and painful, and can induce other conditions such as headaches.
Back Pain from Breathing Requires Proper Examination
There you have it! These are the 7 most common causes of back pain from breathing. There can be some more other there can be some other conditions going on such as heart attack, inflammation of the lungs, pleuritis, and others.
Furthermore, through a thorough history and physical examinations, our Chiropractor and Naturopathic Doctor can figure out what is the source and cause of your pain, and recommend you a treatment plan or direct you where you need to go.
If you have any questions or think that you are experiencing any these symptoms and you want to have an assessment or ask some questions you can chat with us on our website or call into the clinic for an assessment.