Asthma is a common chronic condition that can affect both adults but especially children’s lives drastically: excessive school absenteeism, hospitalisation and even death.
Osteopathic techniques have shown to improve the lung functions byreleasing the tension in the ribcage. This tension gets built up overtime due to the strained breathing- which is particularly laboured during an attack.
The lining of the airways becomes thickened which makes each breath more difficult, and with a reduced amount of oxygen delivered to the circulatory system. The muscles of the neck become activated trying to get as much oxygen into the lungs as possible. As these muscles are usually intended to only be ‘assistant muscles of breathing’, they are changing the shape of the chest because of their increased pull on the neck and thorax. This in turn, makes it even more difficult to use the diaphragm correctly as the primary muscle of respiration.
Manipulating the ribs, thoracic spine, breastbone, makes the thoracic cage more pliable. Focussing on the easing the relevant muscles (including the diaphragm, of course!), a better respiratory function can be obtained. Releasing the entire spine including neck and lower back further reduces the strain on the nerves that supply the respiratory muscles making sure they can relax more.