Posture, Breathing and Posturo-Respiratory Belt, by Doctor Hervé Thomas - Neuro Performance Institute
Our body is constantly changing throughout our lives.
Our body transforms by adapting to the mechanical stimulations it endures.
The mechanical stimulations that our body endures permanently and throughout life are those of posture and breathing.
The way we hold ourselves and the way we breathe are determining factors in the morphological and functional evolution of the body.
In a standing man, the mechanical stimulations of posture and breathing are comparable to those of a crane under load.
The spine is comparable to the foot of the crane, it is constrained in compression.
The cranium is comparable to the head of a crane, it is constrained in an overhang.
The hyoid bone is comparable to the crane hook, it supports the load.
The face and pharynx connect the hook to the crane head, they are constrained in stretching.
Stretched by the walls of the rib cage, the elastic pulmonary tissue tends to retract.
The load supported by the crane depends on the lung retraction force.
The more the pulmonary elastic is stretched between the respiratory tree suspended from the hyoid bone and the diaphragm, the more the crane load increases.
The load of the crane therefore depends on the posture, it increases when you stretch your neck and when you extend your stomach.
The load of the crane also depends on breathing.
The load increases when you inhale by extending your stomach (descent of the diaphragm).
The load decreases when we inhale with a synergy of the diaphragm and transversus abdominis (elevation/deployment of the rib cage)
Original man had two major modes of breathing.
The “relaxation” mode, where only the diaphragm is active, is physiological in the lying position.
The “performance” mode, where the diaphragm and abdominal strap are active, is physiological in the erect position.
The tragedy of modern man is to have developed a third dysfunctional mode, it is relaxation breathing in an erect position.
The consequences are morphological with the progressive increase:
– relaxation and distention of the abdominal wall,
– compression and collapse of the spine,
– stretching and lengthening of the pharynx,
– sagging of the floor of the mouth, rib cage and diaphragm.
The consequences are functional:
– the ventilatory efficiency of the respiratory muscles decreases with the collapse of the diaphragm (restriction),
– the rigidity of the rib cage increases due to insufficient mobilization and “locking” with the accentuation of thoracic kyphosis (restriction),
– the average respiratory power increases with the ventilation/minute to compensate for the drop in tidal volume and the increase in dead volume,
– the compliance of the pharyngeal walls increases with the lengthening of the pharynx,
– Obstructive Ventilatory Sleep Disorders (OSVT) increase with respiratory power (transparietal pressures) and compliance of the pharyngeal walls (deformability),
– the quality of sleep decreases with TVOS,
– metabolic and cognitive performance decreases with the deterioration of sleep and breathing,
– individual productivity in relation to potential decreases with physical and mental performance,
– quality of life decreases,
– chronic conditions are increasing,
– the social cost of the individual increases.
The “sedentary” mode of breathing is at the origin of a vicious circle of morphological and functional degradation of the body.
Wearing a posturo-respiratory belt makes it possible to supplement the stretching and counter-thrusting function on the diaphragm when the abdominal strap is inactive in a vertical situation:
– promotes the ventilatory efficiency of the respiratory muscles,
– promotes flexibility, mobility and capacity of the rib cage,
– promotes the reduction of average respiratory power and inspiratory transparietal pressures.
The posturo-respiratory belt prevents the morphological and functional degradation of the body during which TVOS and orthopedic disorders of the axial skeleton appear and worsen.
If you want to know more on the subject, I invite you to watch our video on YouTube at the following address:
This video is also extracted as a podcast here:
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The Neuro Performance Institute team
Nicolas Desjardins, BHS
Bachelor in Holistic Health Sciences
Expert in Postural Neurology and Neurotherapy
President, Neuro Performance Institute