Chronic pain tends to ramp up the nervous system and suppress respiration. Particularly with pelvic pain syndromes, respiration and calming the nervous system are key in lowering pain levels and starting the healing environment.
The typical protective posture of people with pelvic/abdominal pain is to round forward protecting the painful area. Breathing tends to become shallow with this posture limiting how much we expand our diaphragm. This process further decreases movement in the abdomen and pelvic floor.
Thoracic Extension
Lying with a small towel roll running across your shoulder blades helps to mobilize the thoracic spine, open up the chest and encourage improved upright posture. Working on deep belly breathing while in this position helps to calm the nervous system, move the diaphragm and relax the upper back muscles.
Turtle Breathing**
When we inhale our respiratory diaphragm drops to help expand our lungs. The pelvic diaphragm mirrors the respiratory diaphragm and lowers, adding mobility and circulation of the pelvic floor. By working to increase the depth of respiration we can improve pelvic floor movement indirectly and gently. I teach breathing first in the "child's pose". This way the lungs are assisted by gravity to expand. At the same time the pelvic floor is put on stretch increasing your awareness of its gentle movement with each inhale and exhale.
**Origin of the name "turtle breathing" : in the position described above I have had patients say that they feel they are "breathing through their bottoms" . I then learned that some turtles do "breathe through their rear ends". For a fun read google "turtle's breath through their butts".
Life habits that we adopt help us maintain a healthy nervous system and provide a healing environment for whatever our bodies are going through. Our community is rich in resources. Here are a few direct links: