Hi Guys-
So I have been reading a lot about the diaphragm and how important it is in making the lungs work. As it has been posted a ton, breathing correctly with diaphragm is so important for us and yet we all begin to use the muscles around the lungs to help with all of the work at getting more oxygen in and CO2 out with these obstructed lungs. I don't know about you guys, but it seems like so many of the cfers I see have the rolling in of the shoulders (a sign that we are using chest muscles to breathe).
A study from 1982 I read shows that weight is directly related to muscle mass of the diaphragm....something like a three-fold difference. The skinnier you are the the less powerful your diaphragm. I'll post the study at the bottom. Anyway, if we can't gain weight, how do we strengthen that diaphragm muscle? The yogis on here would say, duh, panting. I never really tried this before, so I thought I would do it for five minutes!!!
Ha, what a joke. I could do it close to 15 seconds before my diaphragm started aching!! Holy cow, that muscle needs to be trained. You start by putting your hand on your stomach (right past rib cage) and open your mouth and pant like a dog as fast as possible for as long as possible. If your hand is not moving in and out, you are doing it wrong!!
I am doing this as much as possible now and have worked up to a few minutes at a time.
Before I go to bed and right when I wake up before a treatment. Strangely, I get so winded after panting when I start my treatment, I am taking huge deep breaths and am able to cough out so much more.
So, in a weeks time, my pulse ox has gone from 98% to 100% with a resting heart rate of 85. I have increased my fev1 1.54 to 1.60 as of this morning. I have one of those hand helds to test at home. I have a lot of damage and it has helped me.
Reading about PFTs and panting online, many studies show that the best way to get accurate measurements of FEV1 is with the panting method (you know the machine they put you in and tell you to pant!!)
I don't think it is a cure to anything, but it is strengthening my diaphragm and I now know I need that. I am sure many of you already know about this technique, but it was news to me.
I am planning on working up to 10 minutes twice a day. You should try it and see what you think<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Effect of body weight and muscularity on human diaphragm muscle mass, thickness, and area
N. S. Arora and D. F. Rochester
To assess the consequences to the human diaphragm of alterations in body weight and muscularity, we measured the mass, thickness, area, and length of diaphragm muscle at necropsy. Of 33 subjects who were clinically well until sudden death, 27 had sedentary occupations and normal weight (group N), while 6 were nonobese laborers whose average weight was 40% greater than normal (group M). Among 37 patients dying of more prolonged illness, 23 were of normal weight (group W), while 14 weighed 71% of normal (group U). Subjects with obesity, chronic pulmonary disease, or edema were excluded. Disease per se did not significantly affect diaphragm dimensions. However, in group M diaphragm muscle mass, thickness, area, and length were 165, 129, 125, and 117% of normal (P less than 0.005), whereas in group U the corresponding values were 57, 73, 77, and 83% (P less than 0.001). Thus alterations in body weight and muscularity profoundly affect diaphragm muscle mass, causing a nearly threefold variation between muscular normal subjects and underweight patients.
So I have been reading a lot about the diaphragm and how important it is in making the lungs work. As it has been posted a ton, breathing correctly with diaphragm is so important for us and yet we all begin to use the muscles around the lungs to help with all of the work at getting more oxygen in and CO2 out with these obstructed lungs. I don't know about you guys, but it seems like so many of the cfers I see have the rolling in of the shoulders (a sign that we are using chest muscles to breathe).
A study from 1982 I read shows that weight is directly related to muscle mass of the diaphragm....something like a three-fold difference. The skinnier you are the the less powerful your diaphragm. I'll post the study at the bottom. Anyway, if we can't gain weight, how do we strengthen that diaphragm muscle? The yogis on here would say, duh, panting. I never really tried this before, so I thought I would do it for five minutes!!!
Ha, what a joke. I could do it close to 15 seconds before my diaphragm started aching!! Holy cow, that muscle needs to be trained. You start by putting your hand on your stomach (right past rib cage) and open your mouth and pant like a dog as fast as possible for as long as possible. If your hand is not moving in and out, you are doing it wrong!!
I am doing this as much as possible now and have worked up to a few minutes at a time.
Before I go to bed and right when I wake up before a treatment. Strangely, I get so winded after panting when I start my treatment, I am taking huge deep breaths and am able to cough out so much more.
So, in a weeks time, my pulse ox has gone from 98% to 100% with a resting heart rate of 85. I have increased my fev1 1.54 to 1.60 as of this morning. I have one of those hand helds to test at home. I have a lot of damage and it has helped me.
Reading about PFTs and panting online, many studies show that the best way to get accurate measurements of FEV1 is with the panting method (you know the machine they put you in and tell you to pant!!)
I don't think it is a cure to anything, but it is strengthening my diaphragm and I now know I need that. I am sure many of you already know about this technique, but it was news to me.
I am planning on working up to 10 minutes twice a day. You should try it and see what you think<img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">
Effect of body weight and muscularity on human diaphragm muscle mass, thickness, and area
N. S. Arora and D. F. Rochester
To assess the consequences to the human diaphragm of alterations in body weight and muscularity, we measured the mass, thickness, area, and length of diaphragm muscle at necropsy. Of 33 subjects who were clinically well until sudden death, 27 had sedentary occupations and normal weight (group N), while 6 were nonobese laborers whose average weight was 40% greater than normal (group M). Among 37 patients dying of more prolonged illness, 23 were of normal weight (group W), while 14 weighed 71% of normal (group U). Subjects with obesity, chronic pulmonary disease, or edema were excluded. Disease per se did not significantly affect diaphragm dimensions. However, in group M diaphragm muscle mass, thickness, area, and length were 165, 129, 125, and 117% of normal (P less than 0.005), whereas in group U the corresponding values were 57, 73, 77, and 83% (P less than 0.001). Thus alterations in body weight and muscularity profoundly affect diaphragm muscle mass, causing a nearly threefold variation between muscular normal subjects and underweight patients.