Unlocking the Power of Breath: The Techniques Every Physio Should Know with Steven Zwerink

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Summary

This episode explores the critical role of breathing in health, recovery, and performance, featuring Steven Zwerink, a breathing physiologist. Discover how dysfunctional breathing impacts the body, the importance of CO2 over oxygen, and practical techniques for physiotherapists to incorporate breathing exercises into their practice.

Guest

Steven is a breathing physiologist and the founder of the Dutch Institute for Breathing Physiology. His work focuses on how breathing influences health, recovery, and performance.

His interest in breathing started after a serious cycling accident, where he experienced a long and difficult recovery with symptoms like a concussion and whiplash. Traditional approaches only got him so far, but when he started working with breathing, things began to change. That experience became the foundation of his work today.

With a background in elite sports and extensive training in different breathing methods, Steven now works with physiotherapists, healthcare professionals, and athletes. His goal is to make breathing practical, evidence-informed, and clinically applicable.

Chapters:

00:00:00 Introduction to breathing in physiotherapy

00:01:17 Steven Zwerink's accident and recovery journey

00:07:57 Sponsor: Physiotutors membership and learning platform

00:09:04 Dysfunctional breathing, CO2, and nasal vs mouth breathing

00:16:38 Why nasal breathing can feel difficult

00:20:26 Early-life habits, jaw development, and airway problems

00:24:38 Sponsor: Physiotutors courses

00:25:39 Why breathing matters in everyday physio practice

00:31:45 How to assess when breathing is part of the problem

00:36:05 Three practical breathing techniques for therapists

00:42:26 Box breathing dosage and workplace applications

00:46:23 Advanced breath control and prolonged exhale training

00:50:55 Coherent breathing and nervous system regulation

00:50:54 Sponsor: WriteUp practice management software

00:52:30 When breathing is complementary vs primary treatment

00:56:46 Sleep-disordered breathing, recovery, and injury risk

00:59:14 Clinical case: post-COVID recovery with breathing work

01:01:34 Mistakes to avoid when adding breathwork to physio

01:04:20 Key myth, nervous system regulation, and therapist takeaways

01:06:13 Diaphragm, psoas, and overlooked physical links

01:08:11 Where to find Steven and final outro

Bonus Material

Download the referenced transcript including PubMed Links and a high-resolution infographic on this episode as part of your Physiotutors membership on the Physiotutors App.

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