Discomfort in the diaphragm and shortness of breath are normal during pregnancy. As your baby grows, your uterus pushes your diaphragm up and compresses your lungs, making it harder to breathe. Trauma to the diaphragm from an injury, a car accident, or surgery can cause pain that is either intermittent comes and goes or prolonged.
In severe cases, trauma can cause a rupture of the diaphragm — a tear in the muscle that will require surgery. Although serious, a diaphragm rupture can go undetected long term. Your doctor can diagnose diaphragmatic rupture through CT scan or thoracoscopy.
A muscular strain of the rib muscles, which can happen due to trauma, coughing, or pulling or twisting movements can cause pain that may be confused with pain from the diaphragm.
Rib fractures can also result in this type of pain. One of the most prominent symptoms associated with gallbladder problems is pain in the mid- to upper-right abdomen, which could easily be mistaken for diaphragm pain. Some other symptoms of gallbladder issues include:. Some gallbladder conditions that could cause the above symptoms include infection, abscess , gallbladder disease , gallstones , bile duct blockage , inflammation, and cancer.
To diagnose a gallbladder issue, your doctor will conduct a thorough medical history and physical exam and may recommend tests like:. You experience a hiatal hernia when the top of your stomach pushes up through an opening in the bottom of your esophagus called the hiatus. This type of hernia can be caused by:. Your doctor can diagnose hiatal hernia through barium X-ray or endoscopy , although they often require little to no treatment. For someone experiencing acid reflux or heartburn, medication may ease the symptoms.
Surgical intervention for hiatal hernia is rare but might be necessary for a person with a large hiatal hernia. Depending on the cause and severity of the pain in your diaphragm, there are multiple avenues for treating the discomfort. For conditions like heartburn and acid reflux caused by a hiatal hernia, you might need to take over-the-counter or prescription medications to control the production of acid in your stomach.
If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor might prescribe anti-inflammatory medication or steroids to control the inflammation. Strong pain management medication like morphine might be prescribed for short-term use in the event of traumatic injury or diaphragm rupture. A person experiencing a severe, large hiatal hernia or a diseased gallbladder might need surgery to correct it. If there is severe trauma to the diaphragm, surgery may also be needed to repair it.
Place one hand on your abdomen and breathe deeply. Encouraging your diaphragm to expand and contract at its full potential should ease your discomfort. Stretching regularly also assists to prevent muscle contractures. It is also important to not just stretch the muscle that is tight in this case the diaphragm but also the muscles surrounding it. Although your diaphragm in deep in your torso, it can still be stretched. Start in an upright standing position.
Reach one arm up to the side and hold it next to your head. Breath in, and as you exhale, lean to the side and stretch your arm over your head.
Inhale as you return to the upright starting position. Repeat another times and swap sides. Start by lying on your stomach on the floor or mat. Bring your hands either of your head with you elbows tucked in to the side of your chest. Keeping your forearms on the ground, slowly lift your chest off the ground and look towards the ceiling. Hold for 30 seconds and lower back down. To increase this stretch, place your hands either side of your chest and lift your chest off the ground by straightening your arms.
Look towards the ceiling and hold for 30 seconds, taking deeps breaths, before lowering. Start by lying on your back on a mat and bring your knees to your chest. Slowly bring your knees to one side so the are touching the ground, look away from your legs. Take deep breaths and hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Standing in an upright position next to a wall edge or doorframe, hold your shoulder and elbow and 90 degrees with your fingers pointing upwards ie a stop sign position.
Place your forearm and elbow on the wall edge and lean forward. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat for both arms. If you are mainly experiencing diaphragm spasms during exercise, it may be beneficial to look at your exercise routine.
Diaphragm spasms can occur during intense exercise and can happen more frequently if you are not adequately prepared. Mouth breathing relaxes the jaw and allows for this relaxation to carry through the face and rest of the body. Whereas, breathing through the nose causes tension and tightening of the face. This technique may take some time to get used to so try switching back and forth between both techniques until you get the hang of it!
While running there are many things to think about, from stride length to arm position. But, the most important and often most forgotten aspect one must remember is focusing on the breath. An easy way to focus on breathing while running is counting your breaths. Budd Coates, an established running coach and Olympic Trials qualifier, developed a popular breathing technique and wrote a well known article explaining it.
Coates recommends a counting pattern- inhale for a count of three then exhale for a count of two, and when sprinting or running at a faster pace to run at a counting pattern. Most people do not have rhythmic breathing when they run or use an even pattern. Coates followed a study by Dennis Bramble and David Carrier, of the University of Utah, that found when exhalation always falls on the same foot, there is a higher chance of injury because it puts constant stress on that side of the body.
Like learning how to ride a bike, teaching your body proper breathing technique takes time and focus. However, getting your core involved, breathing through your mouth and counting your breaths, will created better endurance, performance and most importantly avoid and prevent those horrible side stitches!
0コメント