Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Chest expansion

I have nil chest movement. Fused entirely


Inept will

For years I got the chest expansion measurements and by about year 15 started losing lots of expansion. Been two years since I did any scuba diving but I'd go through my oxygen in half the time it took other divers. Too many short shallow breaths.

I continue fighting an uphill battle since my spine has fused. I find however my NY penchant to talk incessantly substitutes quite well for chest expansion exercises. Problem is in my case its out with the "hot air" in with normal air and Whamo, more contraction.


stevec-they also serve who stand and wait

I have the same thing. My chest expansion measured 1 cm at the last Rheumy visit. When I asked, he said normal expansion was a couple of inches. A little disheartening, but expected. I haven't sneezed or coughed without pain for years.

John_in_TN

I don't like talking about chest expansion anymore. For many years now, I've been getting only negative expansion numbers.

Maybe I can get the numbers to look better if I switch over to log scales.

George

Breb Assyl

I don't know if its been posted anywhere else but you can do chest expansion exercises.

Just grab a towel that you roll up and place around your chest and hold tightly at the front so it restricts you. You then concentrate on expanding your chest with some (maybe 10 or 20 or whatever) deep breaths. Hold them for 5 seconds or so before letting out air. Don't do them, too fast or you might hyperventilate

This will let you concentrate on your breathing. I got to the point when I couldn't even blow up a balloon due to reduced expansion but now am about half of what is considered normal and I also have to keep on reminding myself not to breathe thru my stomach.


Don't think you can - KNOW YOU CAN

HI! IM NEW AT THIS SITE, BUT THANKFUL FOR IT. I HAVENT BEEN DIAGNOSED YET BUT IM POSITIVE FOR HLAB27 AND HAVE HAD IRITIS TWICE. SUFFERED SINCE MY 20s WITH BACK PAIN AND HAVE HAD 2 NECK SURGERIES FOR BLOWN DISCS. I AM SO GLAD SOME ONE BROUGHT UP CHEST EXPANSION. THE RHEMY I WENT TO SAID I HAVE VERY RIGGED RIB CAGE AND THAT WAS A SIGN OF AS BUT HE WAS STILL GOING WITH HIS ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS AS FIBRMALYGIA. I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM THIS SITE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ITS JUST SO DISCURAGING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH QUACKS. IM IN SO MUCH PAIN FROM HEAD TO TOES. JUST WOULD BE NICE TO FINALLY HAVE A NAME FOR IT. BACK TO THE CHEST EXPANSION, MINE IS COMPLETELY STIFF AND I ALSO BREATH WITH STOMACH. I USUALLY GET PNEUMONIA ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR. THANKS FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE BUT FEELS GOOD TO GET OFF MY RIGGED CHEST LOL.

CONNIE

Hi Connie
Welcome to KickAS. A great place to get things off your chest I hope you register and stick with this site. You will find many great friends here. (I am sooo thankful I came across this site... don't know what I would do without it somedays)

Take care,

Pam

"Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides. Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise." Maya Angelou

Ozlion,

I'm not sure I'm understanding clearly... I too have to breathe through my stomach, I just don't understand putting the rolled towel around my chest. I would think that placing the rolled towel around the area right below my rib cage would prevent me from expanding my gut, thereby forcing expansion of my chest...

Am I not getting this correctly???

HELP!!!

Rey

Hi,

You wrap the towel around the ribcage area (just below those useless nipples that men have). It works by the towel providing resistance against you trying to expand your ribcage against it. Its kind of like lifting weights for your ribcage.

Remember this is important - when you take a deep breath in you should not be "sucking your stomach in" but it should actually expand along with your ribcage - to whatever extent your ribcage can.

Don't think you can - KNOW YOU CAN

Hi there,
Just wanted to add that it need not to be a one way street. 7 Years ago my expansion was diminished to 2 cm or less. I then started to visit my manual therapist (something between an osteopath and a fysiotherapist). With his help, (he manipulates the rib joints to open the beginning fusions) and a lot of exercises, and swimming I got back to 6 cm. Last year I went down the drain again, again back to 2 cm. With more visits, and exercises I got back to 6 again and I feel there might be even more possible.

The most important thing is that you become aware of what is happening. To feel the difference between breathing with the ribcage or with the tummy. When you are a singer, like Kat, or flute player you are aware of that, most of us however will not (you're not supposed to think about breathing normally ).
One thing that helped me to become aware is to place both hands low on both sides of the ribcage and then try to breathe by lifting the sternum or by expanding alternately the left or the right site of the ribcage. It is in the beginning very difficult to be aware of what to do and which muscles to use, but exercise will learn or otherwise the help of a fysiotherapist. When you are aware and sometimes have a good piece of movement (swimming) and someone to check the expansion I believe it is possible to keep it up for most of us. That said it is a lot to be aware of and luckily I live in a country where I don't need to pay separately for my visits.

Gerard

" Support bacteria - they're the only culture some people have."
-Stephen Wright-