Respiratory Science

Breathe with
Purpose.

Functional vs Dysfunctional Breathing

How you breathe shapes how you feel, perform, and recover. Learn to recognize the patterns that hold you back — and the ones that set you free.

Explore the Science
50–70% Of chronic low back pain patients adopt altered breathing during motor-control tasks (Roussel et al., 2009)
~83% Of patients with anxiety / panic disorder show dysfunctional breathing (Cowley & Roy-Byrne, 1987)
~10% Increase in arterial oxygen uptake with nasal breathing (Swift et al., 1988)

Functional vs Dysfunctional

A side-by-side comparison of breathing patterns

AttributeFunctionalDysfunctional
Breathing routeNoseMouth
Primary muscleDiaphragmUpper chest
AudibilitySilentAudible
Oxygen deliveryOptimalReduced
Nervous systemBalancedSympathetic dominant
HRVIncreasedDecreased
Sleep qualityImprovedDisrupted
Core stabilityEnhancedCompromised
Lower back painReduced risk50–70% prevalence
Anxiety linkBalanced~83% prevalence
BreathlessnessReducedIncreased
References
  1. Roussel N, Nijs J, Truijen S, Vervecken L, Mottram S, Stassijns G. "Altered breathing patterns during lumbopelvic motor control tests in chronic low back pain: a case–control study." European Spine Journal, 2009;18(7):1066–1073 (PMID: 19430948). 50–70% of CLBP patients adopted altered breathing during the active straight leg raise and bent-knee fall-out tests vs 0% of controls, independent of pain severity.
  2. Cowley DS, Roy-Byrne PP. "Hyperventilation and panic disorder." The American Journal of Medicine, 1987;83(5):929–937 (PMID: 2890301). Canonical reference for the ~83% co-occurrence of hyperventilation / dysfunctional breathing in panic and anxiety disorders.
  3. Swift AC, Campbell IT, McKown TM. "Oronasal obstruction, lung volumes, and arterial oxygenation." The Lancet, 1988;1(8577):73–75 (PMID: 2891980). Nasal vs oronasal breathing differences in arterial oxygenation and lung volumes.
01

Brain & Circulation

  • Improving blood flow to the brain.
  • Improve blood circulation and oxygen delivery to the cells.
02

Airways & Breathing

  • Dilates the upper airways (nose) and lower airways (lungs)
  • Reduces the onset and endurance of breathlessness
  • Significantly reduces exercise-induced bronchoconstriction
  • Reduces energy cost associated with breathing
03

Nervous System & Recovery

  • Maximises vagal tone
  • Balances autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic-sympathetic balance)
  • Increases HRV, RSA and sensitivity of baroreceptors
  • Improves sleep quality, focus, concentration and calm
04

Movement & Posture

  • Improves posture and spinal stabilization, stabilizes core with IAP
  • 50–70% of patients with chronic low back pain adopt altered breathing patterns during lumbopelvic motor-control challenges, independent of pain severity (Roussel et al., 2009) — fixing the breath can help fix the back
  • Improves functional movement to reduce the risk of injury
  • Reducing chemosensitivity to carbon dioxide so that light, slow, deep breathing becomes our normal way to breathe
References
  1. Roussel et al., European Spine Journal, 2009 (PMID: 19430948)
  2. Kolář P et al., "Postural function of the diaphragm in persons with and without chronic low back pain." JOSPT, 2012;42(4):352–362 (PMID: 22236541)