Massage & Bodywork

January/February 2010

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vIsIt thE dIgItaL EdItIOn at massagEandbOdywOrk.COm tO vIEw a vIdEO CLIP dEmOnstratIng thIs tEChnIQuE. Contraction and relaxation of the diaphragm drives breathing when the body is relaxed. Other muscles such as the intercostals, subcostales, and serratus posterior muscles are activated to increase the depth of breathing. The scalenes, quadratus lumborum, and pectoral muscles may also contribute to forceful inhalation. Increasing the pliability, kinesthetic awareness, and recruitment of the diaphragm helps decrease tension in these other muscles. Respiratory pathologies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma, smoking, heavy cardiovascular exercise, postural deviations, and abnormal breathing patterns associated with physical and emotional trauma often lead to overuse of these accessory breathing muscles. PALPATING DIAPHRAGM Positioning: client supine 1. Stand at client's side facing the abdomen and locate the bottom edge of the anterolateral rib cage with the fi ngertips or pad of the thumb. 2. Slide fi ngertips/thumb inferiorly, onto the bottom edge of rib cage. 3. Locate the fi bers of the diaphragm by gently sliding under and following the inner surface of the rib cage. 4. Instruct client to inhale to assure proper location. massage therapist, certifi ed athletic trainer, and certifi ed strength and conditioning specialist. Her private practice focuses on injury treatment, biomechanical analysis, craniosacral therapy, and massage for clients with neurological issues. She is the author of Functional Anatomy: Kinesiology and Palpation for Manual Therapists (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Contact her at functionalbook@hotmail.com. Christy Cael is a nationally certifi ed Client Homework— Diaphragmatic Breathing 1. Lie on your back in a comfortable position. 2. Place your hands on your belly, just below your rib cage, and breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth. 3. focus on making your stomach rise against your hand as you breathe in. your chest should remain as still as possible. 4. breathe out through pursed lips, allowing your stomach to fall inward as the diaphragm relaxes. 5. Continue relaxed breathing, feeling the belly rise and fall as the chest remains still. this exercise optimizes breathing patterns, increases relaxation, and stimulates the immune system. Editor's Note: The Client Homework element in Functional Anatomy is intended as a take-home resource for clients experiencing issues with the profi led muscle. The stretches identifi ed in Functional Anatomy should not be performed within massage sessions or progressed by massage therapists, in order to comply with state laws and maintain scope of practice. 84 massage & bodywork january/february 2010

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