posture Archives - Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy

Posture and Breathing: The Unexpected Connection That Could Resolve Your Pain

Have you tried stretching, exercises, maybe even medication for nagging neck or back pain, but still struggle to find lasting relief? We often focus on posture as a key factor, and it certainly is important. But there’s another, often overlooked element deeply connected to your posture that might hold a key to feeling better: your breathing.

It might seem surprising, but how you breathe significantly impacts your posture, muscle tension, and even pain levels. Let’s explore this powerful posture breathing connection and how understanding your respiratory function could help you find relief.

How Posture Shapes Your Breath (And Vice Versa)

Think about what happens when you slouch or let your head drift forward while working or looking at your phone. This common posture compresses your chest cavity and abdomen. This restriction makes it harder for your diaphragm – the large, dome-shaped muscle under your lungs that should do most of the work of breathing – to move freely.

When your diaphragm movement is limited, your body compensates. You might start using smaller muscles in your neck and shoulders (accessory muscles) to lift your chest and gasp for air. This leads to shallow, inefficient “chest breathing,” which can overwork and fatigue those neck and shoulder muscles. Over time, this inefficient pattern can even reinforce poor posture.

The Surprising Link to Neck and Back Pain

Those overworked neck and shoulder muscles? They become tight, strained, and often painful. This is a direct way poor breathing patterns, often caused by poor posture, can contribute to chronic neck pain and stiffness. Furthermore, an inefficient diaphragm doesn’t just affect breathing; it also plays a role in core stability. When it’s not working optimally, it can potentially contribute to lower back pain as other muscles try to compensate.

It might sound surprising, but focusing on breathing can really help with neck pain. A 2024 review combining results from several high-quality studies found that adding breathing exercises to treatment plans significantly reduced neck pain and disability, while also improving breathing capacity (Cefalì et al., 2024). This shows a clear link between improving breath mechanics and easing pain.

Taking Control: Diaphragmatic Breathing & Expert Guidance

The good news is you can learn to breathe more efficiently. The most natural and effective way is diaphragmatic breathing, often called “belly breathing.” This involves using your diaphragm consciously: as you inhale slowly through your nose, let your belly expand outward; as you exhale, let it gently fall back in. Your chest should remain relatively still.

A physical therapist can be invaluable here. We can assess your specific posture breathing connection, identify inefficient patterns or muscle imbalances, and teach you proper diaphragmatic breathing techniques. We can also integrate these techniques with targeted exercises and postural correction for a comprehensive approach.

Finding relief even from long-term pain is possible. Our patient, Sarah R., described how she arrived with chronic neck pain and stiffness that had rendered her almost paralyzed in her neck. Through her therapy sessions focusing on the root causes, she “has gradually improved her quality of life and eliminated pain episodes.” Addressing underlying issues like the posture breathing connection can be part of that success story.

Paying attention to how you sit, stand, and breathe can be a powerful, yet simple, tool for managing pain and improving your overall well-being.

Explore Your Posture-Breathing Connection?

If you struggle with neck pain, back pain, or stiffness, understanding how your posture and breathing patterns interact could offer a new path to relief. A personalized assessment can identify habits that might be contributing to your discomfort. Our skilled physical therapists at Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy are experienced in evaluating the posture breathing connection and designing effective treatment plans.

Contact our Visalia office at (559) 733-2478 or our Hanford office at (559) 582-1027 to schedule a posture and breathing assessment and take a proactive step toward feeling better.

Reference:

Cefalì, A., Santini, D., Lopez, G., Maselli, F., Rossettini, G., Crestani, M., Lullo, G., Young, I., Dunning, J., Martins de Abreu, R., & Mourad, F. (2024). Effects of Breathing Exercises on Neck Pain Management: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 13(5), 1289. Access the study here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11818914/ (DOI: 10.3390/jcm13051289)

Poor Posture Treatment in Visalia – Who Can Help?

When it comes to spinal pain, posture is a factor. If you are searching for poor posture treatment in Visalia or Hanford, we can help. Read to learn more about posture problems and how to address them.

Lower back pain is an extremely common issue, with 13.1% of US adults having chronic back pain, 4%-25% of the Canadian adult population, and around 28 million adults suffering from it in the UK alone. While there are many potential causes, research increasingly shows that poor posture is a major contributing factor for many people. In this blog post, we’ll summarize some of the key takeaways from a recent Guardian article on how posture impacts back pain. Reference

Some Basics About Spinal Posture

The spine has natural curves that serve an important purpose. These curves work like a coiled spring to absorb shock and impact. When our posture is off, it can lead to exaggerated curves that put extra strain on the structures of the spine. This added pressure over time can lead to back pain and other issues.

What Exactly is Good Posture?

So what constitutes good posture? Proper alignment calls for having the ears stacked over the shoulders and the shoulders over the hips. The neck should curve slightly inward, the mid-back region slightly outward, and the lower back curve slightly inward again. Posture tends to get worse as we age. The curves become accentuated, adding torque, compression, and tension to the elements of the spine that keep it together. So maintaining this ideal alignment requires consistency and effort. This includes awareness, stretching, strengthening, and avoiding repetitive habits that lead to poor posture.

Contributors to Poor Posture

There are many habits that contribute to poor posture, especially in today’s technology-driven world. Slouching at a desk, hunching over a phone, and even things as simple as crossing legs when seated can throw off the spine’s natural curves over time. Correcting these issues by stacking the spine properly and using simple techniques to maintain good alignment of the pelvis and the back throughout the day, can help.

How Can the Physical Therapists with Poor Posture Treatment in Visalia?

When it comes to neck or lower back pain treatment, addressing posture is key. Physical therapists can assess where misalignments exist and provide personalized exercises and stretches to improve postural habits. Techniques like the McKenzie Method can also help educated patients about postural dysfunctions and provide them with specific techniques that they can perform independently. Even simple cues like straightening up against a wall or pulling the shoulders back while seated can be helpful reminders.

There is a Link Between Posture & Pain…and We Can Help You Break It

In summary, this article highlights the strong link between posture and back pain. Maintaining the spine’s natural alignment requires vigilance but can reduce strain and tension. By making posture a priority and utilizing professional help where needed, many instances of back pain can potentially be avoided or corrected.

So, if you are in need of poor posture treatment in Visalia here, give us a call.

Contact One of Our Two Offices in Visalia (559) 7332478 or Hanford (559) 582-1027 Today

Balance Training in Visalia

Looking for a clinic that specializes in balance training in Visalia? We can help. Read below for more information about our expert clinical services.

Our Physical Therapists Can Help Older Adults Improve Balance To Reduce Their Risk For Falling

As our bodies age, they go through numerous physical and mental changes that can often make life more difficult. One of the most common issues that begins to develop in older age is impaired balance, which can turn basic everyday tasks like walking up the stairs into major challenges that precipitates fear of movement and avoidance of activities.

Having good balance means always being able to control and maintain your body’s position, and it’s necessary for normal physical functioning inside and outside of your home.

A balance disorder, on the other hand, indicates that an individual has trouble maintaining a stable and upright position when:

Standing,
Walking,
Or even sitting.

Older adults are at a much higher risk for having balance disorders than any other age group, as about 75% of Americans aged 70 years and older have “abnormal balance.”

This means that one or more aspects of the person’s balance is out of sync, which can often cause complications.

The risk for balance disorders increases as individuals enter their 70s and 80s due to various age-related changes and other factors, like:

Increased muscle weakness,
Joint stiffness,
Visual Impairments,
Inner ear problems,
Spending too much time sitting, and
The side effects of certain medications.

The greater likelihood of a balance disorder also ties directly into an increased risk for falling, as more than one-third of adults aged 65 years and older suffer from a fall each year. Experiencing a fall and a subsequent injury like a hip fracture can further impair your abilities and infringe on your independence.

Improving Your Balance will Reduce Your Fall Risk

Why do we provide balance training in Visalia and also in our Hanford office?

It’s essential for older adults to take measures that will improve their balance and as a result, reduce their risk for falling. Our physical therapists are great resources for this population because they can prescribe feasible tips to help you achieve a more active lifestyle—a necessary first step—and design personalized programs to mitigate your fall risk.

These fall prevention programs focus primarily on improving balance while also working to increase strength, flexibility, and proprioception (sensing your body’s location in space), which all contribute to fall risk. Specific exercises like the heel-to-toe walk, sit-to-stand exercise, and heel raise are frequently incorporated into these types of programs and can be performed at home as well.

Research Supports Our Balance Training

The benefits of fall-prevention programs have been highlighted in a recent systematic review, a robust type of study that reviewed all the available medical literature on the effectiveness of various programs to prevent falls in older adults. Results showed that programs involving light to moderate exercise training may reduce risk factors related to falls and the incidence of falls in this population.

Researchers also found that the most effective exercise programs were those that accounted for each patient’s specific needs with a personalized approach and recommended that balance training and strengthening exercises should be necessary interventions in any worthwhile fall-prevention program.

Call Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy Today for Balance Training in Visalia or Hanford

So if you or a loved one has impaired balance and you’d like to take action now, contact Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy at
559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to learn more about our services or to schedule an appointment today.

Stabilization Exercises and Manual Therapy for Posture

Hands-On Therapy Plus Targeted Exercises Improves Posture And Reduces Pain

Posture is the position and orientation that each part of your body is in, both when you’re moving and while at rest. Good posture means your muscles and bones are in a state of balance that protects these structures from injury and deformity, and it is primarily characterized by a straight spine that maintains the natural curves of the body. Poor posture, on the other hand, is the improper alignment of various body parts, which can result in increased strain and less efficient balance of the body over its base of support. Any sustained position that places the body in a state of misalignment can contribute to poor posture, such as slouching with the shoulders hunched forward, keeping your head held too high, or looking down too frequently.

Head Forward Posture Needs to be Addressed

One of the most common postural faults is called forward head posture, which can be found in about 66–90% of the population. Forward head posture is a state in which the head is slanted in front of the shoulders by an inch or more instead of directly over the shoulders, where it should be positioned. Other names for forward head posture include “text neck” and “nerd neck” because common culprits include spending too much time bending toward a computer screen and craning the neck downward to look at a smartphone.

Don’t Work Your Postural Muscles so Hard

Forward head posture forces the muscles of the neck to work harder to hold up the head, and the further forward it’s positioned, the harder these muscles have to work. Over time, overworking these muscles can lead to muscle imbalances as the body tries to adapt while figuring out other ways to hold the head up straight. Excessive forward head posture may also lead to reduced flexibility of the neck—particularly when rotating and flexing the neck—and can have a negative impact on balance.

Rounded Shoulders – Another Easy Fix

Another related postural issue is rounded shoulders—or “mom posture”—which is when the resting position of the shoulders is too far forward from the body’s ideal alignment. As with forward head posture, rounded shoulders often result from extended periods of slouching with the shoulders positioned too far forward and downwards. When combined with forward head posture, it can lead to further strain and cause shoulder pain and dysfunction.

Strengthening exercises and hands-on therapy could be a solution for posture issues

These types of postural faults can effectively be addressed through exercises that increase muscle strength and stability, as well as manual (or hands-on) therapy techniques that improve range of motion and alleviate pain; however, research on the combination of these interventions for improving posture is limited. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a physical therapist-led treatment program that combined stabilization exercises with manual therapy for patients with forward head and rounded shoulder postures.

Research Supports Specific Exercises…Again

After being screened for inclusion, 60 patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: Group 1 performed stabilization exercises and received manual therapy, Group 2 performed stabilization exercises only, and Group 3 performed home exercises only. Each of these programs lasted for six weeks. A physical therapist guided patients through the stabilization exercises, which were performed three times per week for the six weeks and were designed to increase the strength and flexibility of the neck muscles. Manual therapy was performed by a manual therapist and focused on increasing the range of motion of the neck muscles through a series of manipulations. Group 3 served as the control group and performed a basic home exercise program three times per week that was intended to improve posture during daily activities. All patients were assessed before these interventions, immediately afterwards, and then one month later with several outcome measures related to pain and function.

Manual Therapy by a Physical Therapist is Even Better

Results showed that pain and function significantly improved in Groups 1 and 2 after completing the treatment program, and these improvements were maintained at the one-month follow-up. When compared to one another, it was found that patients in Group 1 experienced greater benefits in pain and function than Group 2. This suggests that the addition of manual therapy added to the positive effects from the stabilization exercises, which was likely the result of improved range of motion and reduced swelling and inflammation that resulted from manual therapy.

Exercise & Hands-on Care by a Physical Therapist Help

Additional research is needed to confirm these findings, but it appears that a physical therapist-led program that combines manual therapy and neck stabilization exercises is beneficial for patients with forward head and rounded shoulders posture.

Call Us Now for Help with Your Posture

So if you’re dealing with any neck or shoulder pain and feel that your posture is not quite ideal, Bacci & Glinn Physical Therapy can help. Contact us at 559-733-2478 (Visalia) or 559-582-1027 (Hanford) to schedule an appointment today.