Your Most Powerful Pain Relief Tool? It Might Just Be Your Breath
The Breath-Spine Connection: What the Latest Research Says About Breathing for Neck and Back Pain Relief
Evidence-Based Insights for Chiropractic Patients
Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation believes that an informed patient is an empowered one, which is why we regularly review the latest science to guide your treatment. Most recently, one of the most exciting recent findings is about something you do around 20,000 times every day: breathing.
Breathing is rarely the first thing people link with neck or back pain relief — but perhaps it should be. But a growing body of research suggests that how you breathe can have a real, determinate impact on pain levels, muscle tension, and overall spinal health.
THE NECK PAIN CONNECTION
A 2025 clinical trial published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that patients with neck pain who followed a structured breathing program had significant reductions in both pain and disability. (1) Participants also showed measurable improvements in their breathing patterns, suggesting a meaningful association between how we breathe and how our neck muscles function. Poor breathing mechanics — such as shallow chest breathing — can overwork the accessory muscles of the neck and upper shoulders, furthering chronic tension and pain. Teaching patients to breathe diaphragmatically helps offload those overworked muscles and restore healthier movement patterns. Your Carrolltown chiropractor knows it takes time and is here to move along that path with you.
BREATHING AND LOW BACK PAIN
Far more than just a breathing muscle, the diaphragm is a critical player in the stability and support of your entire spine. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis by Chen and colleagues in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation confirmed that breathing exercises can effectively reduce pain intensity and disability in people with chronic non-specific low back pain. (2) When the diaphragm contracts properly, it increases intra-abdominal pressure, which helps steady the lumbar spine — much like a natural internal brace. Patients who practice diaphragmatic and controlled breathing exercises may experience less strain on the structures of the lower back during daily activities.
BROADER EVIDENCE FOR SPINAL PAIN RELIEF
A comprehensive 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis by Van Wesemael and colleagues in Clinical Rehabilitation evaluated breathing interventions across a range of spinal pain conditions. (3) Their findings support breathing techniques as a meaningful adjunct therapy, complementing hands-on care like spinal manipulation and soft tissue therapy. As part of a well-rounded chiropractic care plan, breathing exercises may help patients get more out of their treatment and maintain results longer. The goal of care at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation is to get the most out of your treatment plan!
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Breathing exercises are safe, low-cost, and can be practiced anywhere. Whether you're dealing with a stiff neck from desk work or chronic low back pain, adding guided breathing to your daily routine may amplify the benefits of your chiropractic care. Ask your chiropractor at Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation whether diaphragmatic breathing or other techniques are appropriate for your own condition.
CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the relevance of understanding the latest in spinal research as well as the benefits of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
