Abdomen and chest

[Green Hornet]

Hi, Somasimple folks,

I think that the abdomen and chest (the front trunk) could be the most under-treated area even by a manual therapist. I am just curious how many people are treating or at least examining the area constantly.

Besides visceral (systemic) problem, which is beyond our scope of practice, what kind of role abdominal dysfunction play?

How many of you link the anterior trunk dysfunction as a major cause of, for example, low back pain?

Let's start open discussion about magical roles of the abdomen!

[Diane]

Hi Takao,
Abs are a topic near and dear to my heart! I've read about them extensively, (including their embryology, all the buried structures that were once part of the umbilical cord) and have had a look around the net.

I found this awhile ago, and have had a chance to use it to back up a treatment plan I devised, with soft tissue work on the abs.
http://xnet.kp.org/permanentejournal/sum02/acnes.html
Treating the right edge of the rectus helped gain back full range of the right hip of a 57 year old man who first presented with classic anterior groin pain, decreased painful range in F/Add of the hip joint..

I consider abs to be a big source of problems, and treat them a lot. I never bother trying to treat "viscerally"... if you mop up the abs the "viscera" (at least in the sense that a manual practitioner can access them...) seem to do fine in my experience.

Ab fascia is continuous with thigh fascia, an important point if you "zoom in" on cutaneous nerve exit points.
Diane

[emad]

HI Takao :
Abdominal
Excellent topic ,usuall i meet through my work, i remember i have meet since 2 weeks , a patient female with back ,sciatica she complained like feeling of tension ,pain around all her abdomen like stringe feel.
what i have performed just palpation , some glide , and i think thus was of no benefit .

Chest :Those days i consider the chest a main part of whole my work , regardless of the pateint type if he/she is neurological, musclo, elderly ....
i perfrom breathing execices .

cheers
emad

[rolf]

Hi all!

Most of my chronick pain patients have trouble with abdominal breathing,but not in the supine position.I see lot of problems in the lumbar,thoracic and cervical spine due to thoracic breathing pattren(and inner organs beneath diaphragma)
The next time you have a patient look at her/his breathing pattern in quit sitting.Its interesting to now that EMG levels in quite sitting and standing
are not significantly differnet from each other.People often say "i have to sit down alittle bit to REST",but the musculat tension will not rest until you lie down!
Its alot of reasons why peole hav problem with abdominal breathing(emotional stress,bad habits,the flat stomach trend(espesially women,)
somatic motor amnesia,red/green light relexes etc etc....
In my poiny of view its very difficult to get a good body awareness without beeing aware yuor breathing pattern.Managing this problem solves
many other problems muscular, nevrological,innerorgans etc.
For example ,its almost impossible to get agood pelvic tilt,dynamic movment in the lumbar area,in sitting,without having a abdominal breating.(muscular tension,stiff joints etc)
Rin :wink:

[bernard]

Hello Rolf,

You have totally understood the importance of breathing. Breathing is life and abdominal breathing is thus a better life!

[Green Hornet]

Hi all,
Thank you for your replies.

In an Asian world, the abdomen is the center of the physical, emotiona, and spiritual body (living body).

It has a lot of potentials in a good way and dysfunctional way. Paying our attention to the area and learning about it would have a great deal.

[rolf]

Hi all!
What i have learned most about body awareness and breathing is through Thomas Hanna "Somatics"and Steven Shafarmann" Awareness Heals",these books are recomended.
RIN

[Green Hornet]

Rin,
Those are good books and favorite ones.

Folks,
How do you educate on breathing?
What are your strategies on improving your client's abdominal breathing? Effective verbal/tactile cues and instructions?

[bernard]

Takao,

The response is in the "TRY IT" section.

[emad]

Hi all :

Interesting topic

cheers
emad