Back Pain When Breathing
Back pain when breathing is a common indicator of
muscular back ache,
but may also be a symptom of other less typical pain scenarios. Back muscles are very sensitive to movement when injured. The muscles of the upper back work closely with a variety of chest muscles that are used or moved during the breathing process. The muscles of the lower back work closely with the diaphragm muscle and other lower chest and abdominal muscles that are also involved in the breathing process. This close involvement is often the reason for painful symptoms associated with breathing.
Back Pain When Breathing Injury
Most cases of breathing back pain are due to a muscular injury. Muscles that are in
spasm
are particularly affected by any bodily movement. Each breath has the chance of starting the spasm response anew. This can be a nightmare for a suffering patient. Breathing back ache can also occur from a variety of
psychosomatic back pain
conditions including
tension myositis syndrome.
In these cases, the muscles are
oxygen deprived
and any small movement can set off another excruciating round of pain. I have personally experienced this type of pain on several occasions during my battle with chronic back torture. Worse still, these types of mindbody symptoms are rarely successfully diagnosed for what they truly are and therefore often elude effective treatment.
Back Pain When Breathing Alternate Causes
There are other possibilities to explain breathing related back pain. A pulled diaphragm muscle can cause pain when breathing and this pain can radiate throughout the abdomen, chest and back. I injured this muscle once during martial arts training and suffered from general and breathing-related pain for almost 2 months! Pain while breathing can also be an indicator of serious health problems. Severe cardiac and pulmonary conditions can produce
back and chest pain
associated with breathing. If you suddenly develop symptoms, get to a hospital immediately to rule out potentially fatal causes for your pain. Any
unexplained pain
should be checked out by a doctor to eliminate the possibility of cancer or other life threatening condition.
Recommendation on Back Pain When Breathing
This symptom can be very scary and upsetting to a patient. After all, you must breathe, but when each breath brings the potential for increased pain and symptoms, extreme
frustration
is the usual result. If you have been examined to rule out any possibility that you have some serious health condition, then relax. Breathe slow and find a pattern that minimizes your pain. For some patients, steady deep breaths might work better than the tendency towards many shallow breaths. Relaxation will help to reduce the mental anxiety associated with this pain. It will also calm the
tension in the affected muscles
and prevent muscle spasms. Talk to your doctor about what can be done to sooth the pain from spasming muscles. Usually, the answer is simply to let the pain resolve itself and recover. If the pain continues and becomes a chronic concern, consider the possibility that your dorsalgia might actually be a mindbody issue. These concerns are more prevalent than most patients know and often explain why the chronic pain does not respond to seemingly perfect therapy choices.
Back Pain When Breathing to Back Pain
4/9/07 Revised 1/28/12
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