Chronic, latent, or long-term health issues can have a significant impact on our lives.
More recently Long COVID has been at the centre of many discussions, however this can also include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Chronic pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Chronic fatigue
- Breathing pattern disorders
If a person is also experiencing financial stress it can be difficult to find help with these debilitating conditions due to the costs involved with treatment.
Living with long term health issues
Approximately 1 in 3 people experience disordered breathing at some point in their life and 1 in 3 people also suffer with anxiety.
It has also been found 40% of people who experience disordered breathing live with some form of chronic pain1.
It’s not just the lived experience of a global pandemic which is contributing incidences of these issues.
Anyone can be diagnosed with a long-term health issue. Even a regular task in our lives can trigger exceptional levels of stress.
The impact
In our current circumstances, it comes as no surprise that many people are living with high levels of anxiety associated with change or loss of income.
Over the past year we have seen an increase of referrals for clients with severe anxiety and breathing pattern disorders almost triple.
There have been distinct increases in symptoms of anxiety among teenagers.
The holistic benefits of breath work
Every system in the body relies on oxygen.
APM has clinics based in New Zealand with Physiotherapists with over 10 years of experience working with disordered breathing, anxiety, and chronic pain.
We’ve seen how breath work can complement your treatment plan.
Some clients experience an improvement in their symptoms after just one session.
From thinking to digesting, every breath we take is supporting numerous functions of our bodies.
If we are not breathing well, it makes sense that this can have flow on effects.
It is not uncommon for people living with long-term health issues to have spent a nearly equally long period working with health professionals to coordinate an effective treatment plan.
When you have lived with uncertainty or anxiety for so long, it can negatively affect your confidence.
The benefits of effective breathing include greater mental clarity, improved sleep and digestion, an improved immune response and lower stress levels.
When you gain knowledge and learn what is happening with your body you can regain a feeling of control over your body.
When it comes to your breath, the education you (seek and) receive along with the exercises provided can greatly improve your quality of life.
If you think you have a breathing disorder, get in touch with your local APM physiotherapist who can help to treat disordered breathing and get you back in your best rhythm.
1 G. Asmundson, J. Katz: ‘Understanding the co-occurrence of anxiety disorders and chronic pain’ Published 1 October 2009
