Chronic Pain? Try These 3 Breathing Exercises.

What if you could improve your quality of life using just your breath? Studies show that in addition to mental health benefits, breath exercises can actually help relieve pain in the body, according to Dr. Ellen Slawsby, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.  

Slow, deep breathing has the ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system (our rest and digest response) and down regulate our sympathetic nervous system (our fight or flight response). When we’re in a fight or flight state, we can experience rapid heart rate, high blood pressure, stress, anxiety, and depression — all conditions that can cause your muscles to tighten and remain in a nearly constant state of tension.  

By tapping into the power of mindful breathing, we can lower stress hormones in the body which consequently help your muscles relax. According to a peer-reviewed study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, if you’ve experienced chronic pain, your brain may have been trained to misinterpret threat and compensate by prolonging pain. In other words, your brain may have programmed itself to receive pain signals even when it’s a false alarm. When chronic pain lives in our body, the nervous system goes haywire and, triggered by fear, gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode which in turn presents in the form of physical symptoms — similar to the body’s response to blushing.  

By using the breath to retrain the mind, we can harness better functioning mind-body connection and help to relieve pain. How cool is that? 

Deep Belly Breathing 

Belly breathing, also known as diaphragmatic breathing, is a simple, effective exercise that you can do pretty much anywhere. It helps relax the mind and body while offering a foundation for learning other breathing techniques. If you’re new to breathwork, this is a fantastic place to start. 

1. Sit in a comfortable position or lie down.  

2. Place one hand over your belly and the other on your chest. 

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose and feel your hand on your belly being pushed out. 

4. Take a slow, deep breath out through pursed lips, almost like you’re breathing out through a straw. Feel the hand on your belly move inward and try to push all the air out (imagine emptying the belly and lungs). 

5. Maintain this rhythm and repeat 3-10 times. 

6. At the end of this exercise, take a quick body scan and notice how you feel.  

Watch a tutorial here. 

4-7-8 Breathing 

Using belly breathing as a foundation, the 4-7-8 breathing exercise will build on that technique by introducing a counted breath cycle. 

1. Sit in a comfortable position or lie down. 

2. Place one hand over your belly and the other on your chest. 

3. Take a slow deep belly breath and silently count to 4, keeping your breath moving for the entire time. 

4. Hold your breath at the top of your inhale and silently count from 1 to 7. 

5. Take a slow deep breath out as you silently count from 1 to 8, keeping your breath moving for the entire time. 

6. Maintain this rhythm and repeat 3-10 times. 

7. At the end of this exercise, take a quick body scan and notice how you feel. 

Watch a tutorial here. 

Morning Breathing 

Just as the name suggests, this exercise is an excellent way to start the day to release stiffness in the body. It can also be utilized throughout the day to relieve tension as needed. 

1. From standing, mindfully bend forward from your waist, keeping your knees slightly bent and allowing your arms to dangle toward the floor. 

2. Inhale slowly and deeply as you return to a standing position by rolling up through your spine, lifting your head last. 

3. In your standing position, hold your breath for a few seconds. 

4. Exhale slowly as you repeat the movement, bending forward from the waist. 

5. Maintain this rhythm and repeat 3-10 times. 

6. At the end of this exercise, take a quick body scan and notice how you feel. 

The human mind and body are truly amazing, and even more so when we start to understand how together, they can help promote healing, wellness, and quality of life. Whether you’re recovering from an injury, experiencing chronic pain, or simply want to relieve tension in your body, these few breathing exercises might just deliver the relief you’re looking for. 

*Medical Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. 

SOURCES 

Best Breathing Techniques for Relaxation and Pain Relief, Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/finding-new-home/202103/best-breathing-techniques-relaxation-and-pain-relief  

Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation, University of Michigan Health: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz2255  

6 Ways to Use Your Mind to Control Pain, Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/6-ways-to-use-your-mind-to-control-pain  

Breathwork as a Pain-Relief Strategy, Yoga International: https://yogainternational.com/article/view/breathwork-as-a-pain-relief-strategy-plus-2-practices-for-beginners   

Chronic pain is surprisingly treatable — when patients focus on the brain, The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/15/chronic-pain-brain-plasticity/  

Effect of Pain Reprocessing Therapy vs Placebo and Usual Care for Patients With Chronic Back Pain: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2784694