"Tactical" Breathing

Chronic pain can be debilitating. It can lead to anxiety, stress, and muscle tension, and disrupt normal breathing—often resulting in shallow, rapid breathing or even hyperventilation. During these times a slow and deep breathing technique can help reduce these symptoms.

The video below describes a breathing technique that can help calm you in stressful situations.

Tactical breathing is a technique used by military personnel when feeling the fight-or-flight response during stressful combat situations— helping soldiers gain their composure and avoid panic. This technique can also be used for chronic pain, providing a therapeutic effect by helping relax muscles, calm resulting anxiety, and providing a distraction from the pain.

• Benefits of Tactical Breathing
• Helps relieve muscle tension caused by pain
• Decreases stress, increases calm
• Restores normal breathing
• Increases focus
• Provides a distraction from the pain
• Disengages one from distracting thoughts and sensations
• Lowers blood pressure

Steps involved in tactical breathing

• To do this, place your right hand on your stomach and exhale heavily.
• Then, slowly draw your breath upward from your abdomen to your upper chest by inhaling through your nostrils.
• Inhale for a count of 4.
• Hold and pause your breath for a count of 4.
• Exhale slowly, beginning at your chest and working your way down to the air in your abdomen. Exhale for a count of 6.
• Consider your navel to be in contact with your spine while breathing.
• Hold for a count of 2.
• Once you're comfortable with a full, deep breath, do it again, but this time slow your count as you inhale, hold and exhale.
• Repeat at least three times slowing your breath count slightly each repetition.

Tactical breathing is a form of Diaphragmatic breathing. These deep breathing techniques are based on pranayama, an Ayurvedic form of breathwork that originated in India and is practiced in yoga. They have extremely ancient roots, with various techniques for calming, bringing in energy, refining focus, and relaxing the nervous system.

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