# The Biological Stuff + Breathing ##### Untangling Pain --- ![](https://youtu.be/mZT4jbakWe4) --- ## tl;dr **Biological side** - Looking at breathing, sleep, alcohol, hydration, diet and nutrition, and exercise & movement - Not including biomechanics or massage, but they are part of the puzzle too - Pain is multifactorial – we want to make small changes in different areas - No single big solution – tweaking a few things may reduce pain and sensitivity **Breathing** - Slow, deep breathing can reduce pain intensity, especially when the exhale is longer than the inhale - Likely linked to central nervous system and increased parasympathetic activity (rest and digest) - In fight or flight, we hold our breath - when safe, we exhale - Many people in pain tend to hold their breath - Working through breath-holding can help the body feel safe and reduce sensitivity - For some, breath focus can trigger panic – becomes a DIM - If you struggle with this, consider working with a professional - Breathing is part of the pain puzzle --- ## Transcript We're going to start off with the biological side, or the body stuff that can add to the pain response. So this is one part of the puzzle. We're going to look specifically at breathing, sleep, alcohol, hydration, diet and nutrition, and exercise and movement. Now, I haven't included things like biomechanics, or massage, or the physical stuff. But that's just because this presentation would become a monster of a recording, and it already is. But, they also play a part too. But again, just notice that I said they play a part, because they are part of, they are a piece of the puzzle. They will not be the full puzzle. So again, when people used to come to me for massage, for pain, they would think that was it, that's all they needed. And it's not. That is a part of the puzzle. That's just a single piece. If there is something that I do not mention during this recording, it doesn't mean that I don't think it matters. I'm just giving an overview that will matter to the majority of people with pain, especially chronic pain. So these are all just pieces of the puzzle that I think will affect a lot of people but there are going to be other aspects again. So remember that we are not just wanting to focus on one of these things, we want to make small changes in a number of different areas, because again, Pain is multifactorial, I keep coming back to that word. And we can, it means we can come from pain from so many different angles, we don't need to think of one of these things as the big solution, but tweaking a few of them may be what we need to reduce that pain and sensitivity. We're on to breathing. That's the first part we're going to look at. Firstly, breathing patterns can influence pain. And it has been shown that slow, deep breathing can reduce pain intensity and discomfort. This is especially true when the exhale is longer than the inhale. So when we're breathing out, when it takes us longer to do, then that's when we can help to reduce pain and discomfort. So research believes that these changes are likely due to the central nervous system. Remember the brain and the spinal cord. And it may be due to increased parasympathetic activities. Remember that rest and digest. So rather than our body being in a fight or flight, focusing on our breathing and increasing our exhale, can actually reduce that fight or flight response and increase that rest and digest, that parasympathetic part of the system. And it makes sense. When we are in fight or flight, we naturally hold our breath. And when we are safe, we naturally exhale, and we start to breathe again. So focusing on our breathing can help with pain and I think it's important to note that I have noticed that the majority of people I have worked with who are in pain, I've found that they do actually hold their breath. And again, it makes sense, they're in pain, so they're gonna hold their breath because that helps. But trying to work through that can help our body feel safe, and again, reduce pain and sensitivity. In that respect, breathing could be seen as a SIM to a point, everyone's different. I have found that actually for some people, focusing on their breath can actually make them panic more. It becomes a DIM for them. So again, you need to know if this is something that you struggle with. Now, if it is something that you struggle with, if you are finding a hole in your breath, but you struggle to focus on it, and let go, then this is probably where you need to do some work maybe find a professional that can help you with this. But it's just realizing that breathing is a part of the puzzle when it comes to pain. So that's what this is all about. --- Next lesson → [[Untangling Pain – Module 2 Lesson 04|next lesson]] %% - [[The Body Stuff That Can Add to the Pain Response]] - [[Breathing and pain]]