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
Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC 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. But a growing body of research suggests that how you breathe can have a real, measurable impact on pain levels, muscle tension, and overall spinal health.
THE NECK PAIN CONNECTION
A 2025 clinical trial published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine found that patients with neck pain who followed a structured breathing program had significant reductions in both pain and disability. (1) Participants also showed 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 takes the strain off the muscles that have been compensating, helping to reset more balanced and healthy movement patterns over time. Your La Grande chiropractor knows it takes time and is here to move along that path with you.
BREATHING AND LOW BACK PAIN
The diaphragm is not just a breathing muscle — it plays a key role in spinal stability. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis by Chen and colleagues in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation confirmed that breathing exercises can effectively 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 everyday activities.
BROADER EVIDENCE FOR SPINAL PAIN RELIEF
A wide-ranging 2025 review published in Clinical Rehabilitation gathered evidence from multiple studies to examine how breathing interventions perform across different types of spinal pain. (3) Their findings support breathing techniques as a meaningful adjunct therapy, complementing hands-on care like spinal manipulation and soft tissue therapy. As part of a well-rounded chiropractic care plan, breathing exercises may help patients get more out of their treatment and maintain results longer. Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC wants you 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 dealing 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 Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC whether diaphragmatic breathing or other techniques are right for your own condition.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Kurt Olding on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he details the relevance of understanding the latest in spinal research as well as the benefits of The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
