Can tight muscles on the front body affect breathing?
Tight muscles can absolutely cause breathing difficulty. There are certain muscles involved in both the exhalation and inhalation processes. If any of these muscles become tight, overused, or develop trigger point activity (commonly referred to as a knot in the muscle) then this muscle's function may be inhibited.
The diaphragm is the major muscle responsible for breathing. It is a thin, dome-shaped muscle that separates the abdominal cavity from the thoracic cavity. During inhalation, the diaphragm contracts, so that its center moves caudally (downward) and its edges move cranially (upward.) When our diaphragm functions at its optimum it can aid in healing the body.
In yesterday's email, we talked about three muscle areas of the front body to release first. Read how they benefit respiration.
The pectoralis major is active in deep or forced inspiration, but not expiration. The pectorals also play a part in deep inhalation, pulling the ribcage to create room for the lungs to expand.
The psoas and diaphragm work together to provide spinal stability with each breath. A tight psoas muscle can cause rib thrusting (pushes your rib cage forward usually arching your back), causing quick, shallow, chest breathing.
A quadriceps is a group of muscles on the front thigh that are attached to the pelvis (except femur). When these muscles are over tight they can cause pulling down of the pelvis/psoas muscle.