Breathing is essential to life and occurs naturally with very little or no thought. Physiotherapists will assess your breathing pattern and your overall health and use this information to help you restore your breathing.


A breathing pattern disorder means not breathing in the most efficient way for your body. There are various ways your breathing may have changed: you might be breathing too fast, too slow, taking bigger breaths than necessary, breathing through your mouth, breathing at the top of your chest, or experiencing irregular breathing patterns.

While it is normal for our breathing to change in response to different situations, various triggers (see triggers diagram) can disrupt our natural rhythm. These disturbances can lead to unpleasant symptoms. If these triggers are repeated or prolonged, the changes in your breathing can become habitual, preventing your breathing from returning to its 'normal' state.