Dooley Noted: 6/28/2015
I’m always concerned when my patients are using narcotics like opioids to treat their pain.
Opioids classically cause respiratory depression. Since most chronic pain is linked to hypoxia, it makes no sense to me to treat pain with something that depresses your ability to get more oxygen.
Most of us think we breathe pretty well. After all, we do it without thinking, right?
For me that’s a big part of the problem.
When you breathe on autopilot, you fall back on old habits.
I do believe breathing should sometimes be a conscious effort, as if it’s a skill you practice.
The more conscious the effort, the more you can change the habit.
Therefore, you can change the way the autopilot is run.
Yesterday, I read a post shared by one of my brilliant colleagues, Brett Jones. He posted an article about the links of the vagus nerve to chronic inflammation.
The vagus nerve helps to control respiration and heart rate, as well as digestion. A neuroscientist believes strongly that tone of this nerve is linked to systemic inflammation. The vagal tone can be measured in breathing recovery rates based on heart rate.
If vagal tone is linked to breathing and systemic inflammation, then breath control can be considered in cases of chronic inflammation.
Since chronic inflammation may be misconstrued as pain, improving respiration may play a role in pain perception.
The point is simple.
Your breath control matters.
If you haven’t worked to improve your vagal tone, VO2 max, pulse oximeter readings, or spirometry in dealing with your pain, it’s worth consideration.
While we await more research, I will continue to help patients use breathcontrol to dial down pain perception, improve digestion, create more strength and stability, and slow down a racing, anxious heart and mind.
And if painkillers depress respiration, I can’t condone the usage of them for chronic pain management.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
