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
Johnson Chiropractic is committed to sharing the latest research to help you get the best results from your care — and one of the most exciting recent findings is about something you do around 20,000 times every day: breathing.
When you think about managing neck or back pain, breathing might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Yet emerging research is making it increasingly clear that your breathing pattern has a direct and measurable effect on pain, muscle tension, and the health of your spine.
THE NECK PAIN CONNECTION
A 2025 clinical trial published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine reported that patients with neck pain who followed a structured breathing program had significant reductions in both pain and disability. (1) Participants also demonstrated 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 overload the accessory muscles of the neck and upper shoulders, impacting chronic tension and pain. Diaphragmatic breathing effectively removes the strain off the muscles that have been compensating, helping to reset more balanced and healthy movement patterns over time. Your Richmond chiropractor knows it takes time and is here to go along that path with you.
BREATHING AND LOW BACK PAIN
The diaphragm has a dual purpose — yes, it drives every breath you take, but it is also one of the body's primary muscles for supporting and stabilizing the 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 successfully lower pain intensity and disability in people with chronic non-specific low back pain. (2) When the diaphragm contracts correctly, 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
Van Wesemael and colleagues cast a wide net in their 2025 Clinical Rehabilitation review, evaluating the impact of breathing interventions on spinal pain across a broad range of patient groups and conditions. (3) Their findings position breathing exercises as a powerful complement to the kind of hands-on care — such as spinal manipulation and soft tissue work — that sits at the heart of the chiropractic treatment at Johnson Chiropractic. 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 Johnson Chiropractic 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 suffering with a stiff neck from desk work or chronic low back pain, adding guided breathing to your daily routine may intensify the benefits of your chiropractic care. Ask your chiropractor at Johnson Chiropractic whether diaphragmatic breathing or other techniques are appropriate for your individual condition.
CONTACT Johnson Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes the importance of understanding the latest in spinal research as well as the benefits of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
