Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique for Natural Pain Relief

Learn a Simple Diaphragmatic Breathing Technique for Relaxation and Pain Control

Sometimes it seems like diaphragmatic breathing--also called belly breathing or abdominal breathing—is the mother of all home remedies!

Not only does abdominal breathing relax you, it can also help you control pain. And, it's wonderful for your long-term health.

Don't let the word "diaphragmatic" scare you off. It's really just natural, optimal breathing -- nothing fancy. But all too often, we don't breathe optimally and naturally.

Many if not most of us are chest-breathers -- breathing quickly and shallowly, instead of deeply into the lower third of our lungs, as we are meant to do under normal circumstances.

The Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise

But the exercise goes on to shows you how to supercharge the relaxation response -- which will help you manage and reduce pain.

1. Sit or lie down comfortably. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth for a while. Consciously slow your breath down a bit.

2. Breathe deeply -- all the way into the lower third of your lungs. Your belly should expand when you breathe in and return to normal when you breathe out. This is diaphragmatic breathing.

   (This should be a gentle, slow, natural movement. Don't try to breathe in quickly or to fill your lungs till they practically pop!)

   Place your hands flat on your belly, watching them move as you breathe, to make sure that your abdomen expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale.

   Breathe like this for a while, until it feels comfortable and natural. Consciously see if you can slow your breathing down a little more.

3. At this point, if your breathing isn't already smooth and even, consciously even it out to a nice, smooth rhythm. Smoothing out your breathing relaxes you and helps you feel grounded.

   You can count your breaths to help you keep the rhythm even. (Unless it makes you tense to count -- in that case, just estimate.)

4. After you've got the rhythm of your breath nice and even, slow down the exhale in comparison to the inhale, to super-charge the relaxation response.

   Breathe in for a certain number of counts, say 6 (or whatever is comfortable for you), then breathe out for approximately twice as many counts. Do this for a minute or so. (As before, if it makes you tense up to count, then just estimate.)

   By now you should be starting to feel more relaxed. Continue breathing like this for as long as you wish.

5. If at any time you start to feel dizzy or faint, you can either return to your normal breathing for a while, slow down your exhale, or lengthen the natural pause between your inhale and your exhale.

A wonderful resource for helping you learn to breathe optimally is "The Breathing Box: Four Weeks to Healthy Breathing" by Gay Hendricks. It's a "kit" that includes a CD, a 90-minute DVD, and illustrated cards. There's a wealth of health-promoting information and training in these excellent materials. (The link will take you to a great company, Sounds True, where you can buy the Breathing Box. If you do, it won't cost you any extra, but I get a small commission, which helps me keep informational pages like this one going.)

The FDA now approves breath training as a recognized treatment for hypertension, and more than 1,000 additional studies show its effectiveness in relieving anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, and more.

Cautions for Using Breathing and Relaxation Techniques

Please use good judgment in deciding when your pain warrants the attention of a medical doctor, and always follow up to find the root cause of the pain.