Diaphragm muscle

What is a diaphragm? The diaphragm is located between the upper abdomen and the chest. It is the muscle responsible for helping you breathe. As you inhale, your diaphragm contracts so your lungs can expand to let in oxygen; as you exhale, your diaphragm relaxes to let out carbon dioxide. Some conditions and complications can cause diaphragm spasms, which can impede normal breathing and may be uncomfortable. A diaphragm spasm can occur for a number of reasons and in varying severities. Sometimes the spasm is short-lived, particularly if it occurs as a result of a “sucker punch.” Other causes are more involved and may have a number of additional symptoms associated with them. Hiatal hernia If you have a Hiatal hernias are caused by weakened muscle tissues, which can be a result of an especially large hiatus (muscle space), injury, or persistent pressure on surrounding muscles. Small hiatal hernias don’t usually cause problems, whereas large hiatal hernias can cause pain and difficulty breathing. Other symptoms of a hiatal hernia include: • heartburn • difficulty swallowing • belching • feeling overfull after meals • passing black stool • vomiting blood Phrenic nerve irritation The phrenic nerve controls the muscle of the diaphragm. It sends signals to your brain, which allows you to breathe without thinking. If your phrenic nerve becomes irritated or damaged, you may lose the ability to take automatic breaths. The condition can be caused by a spinal cord injury, physical tra...

The diaphragm is generally referred to as the main “respiratory muscle”—which is to some extent a misnomer. A better description would be that the diaphragm is the primary muscle of ventilation. Its critical physiological role is to serve as the main muscle which moves air into the lungs, where this air, of course, oxygenates the blood. Since delivery of oxygenated blood to all parts of the body is critical to life, and since intact cardiac and respiratory systems are the essential elements to assure that this oxygenated blood is manufactured and delivered, failure of any of the components that makes up either one of these systems results in death or severe disability. One could thus make a very strong argument that along with the heart and lungs, the diaphragm is one of the three most important organs in the body. Just as the heart is the blood pump, the diaphragm is the air pump. Brief consideration will convince the reader that the heart and diaphragm are the only two muscles in the body that are continuously active throughout the life of an individual. If either one of these muscles fails, the individual fails. As the only skeletal muscle that is continuously active (the heart is made up of cardiac muscle), the diaphragm presents a number of interesting physiological adaptations. Diaphragm muscle fibers demonstrate unique characteristics that permit it to function adequately given this unusual role of constant activity. Further, its special role seems to influence the ...

Diaphragm flutter — also known as diaphragmatic flutter or diaphragmatic myoclonus — is a rare disorder in which your diaphragm experiences repeated involuntary It’s the primary muscle responsible for pushing air in and out of your The contractions caused by diaphragm flutter often look like movements made by a belly dancer. This is why the condition is commonly known as belly dancer’s dyskinesia (BDD). Dyskinesia simply refers to a body movement that you can’t control. What Are the Symptoms of Diaphragm Flutter? The main symptoms of diaphragm flutter vary in intensity from person to person, and they may not even show in mild cases. Symptoms may include: • breathing difficulties • chest pain • heart palpitations • abdominal pain Diaphragm flutter causes repetitive, rhythmic, and noticeable movement in the upper abdomen. In some cases, the contractions may also move toward the surrounding muscles that are used for breathing. The rapid, undulating movements are usually seen in the front of the body near the chest and not on the back. Diaphragm flutter is almost always bilateral — meaning it affects both the left and right sides of the body equally. Episodes of chest Diaphragm flutter can also cause a wide range of additional symptoms like: • hyperventilation • acid reflux • • sleep disorders • The symptoms generally get worse during the day, and may be triggered by stress. They don’t usually show up during sleep. What Are the Causes of Diaphragm Flutter? The causes of diaphr...

Diaphragm Muscle As a result, the diaphragm muscle must generate greater relative intrathoracic pressures to produce a given level of inspiratory airflow and tidal volume. From: Fetal and Neonatal Physiology (Fifth Edition), 2017 Related terms: • Skeletal Muscle • Respiratory Muscle • Motor Unit • Patient • Intercostal Muscle • Motoneuron • Diaphragm • Phrenic Nerve Carlos B. Mantilla, ... Gary C. Sieck, in Fetal and Neonatal Physiology (Fifth Edition), 2017 Functional Implications of Developmental Changes in Mechanical Performance of the Diaphragm Muscle The diaphragm muscle plays a vital role in sustaining ventilation from the time of birth onward, yet its mechanical performance is affected by the concurrent maturation of other structures. For example, with maturation of limb muscles and locomotor function, ventilatory demands placed on the diaphragm muscle increase dramatically, and the diaphragm must be capable of meeting the increased range of functional demands that coincide with postnatal development. 100 In addition, compliance of the lung and chest wall changes markedly during early development. The neonatal lung is stiffer due to greater alveolar recoil, which is offset by expression of surfactant, while the chest and abdominal walls are more compliant. As a result, the diaphragm muscle must generate greater relative intrathoracic pressures to produce a given level of inspiratory airflow and tidal volume. Yet the neonatal diaphragm muscle generates much lower max...

The diaphragm is a sheet of internal muscle which extends across the bottom of the rib cage. This is an important muscle that separates the thoracic cavity, which contains the heart, lungs and ribs, from the abdominal cavity. When we say ‘diaphragm’, we generally refer to the thoracic diaphragm that helps in breathing. There are other diaphragms in the body as well. These include the urogenital diaphragm, pelvic diaphragm and the diaphragms present in the eardrum and the iris of the eye. However, when one says the diaphragm, then the reference is usually to the thoracic diaphragm. Before we go on to discussing the diaphragm function, let us take a look at its anatomy. Anatomy of Diaphragm The diaphragm is a dome-shaped musculo-fibrous septum that separates the thoracic cavity from the rest of the abdominal cavity. Hence, its convex upper surface forms the floor of the thoracic cavity and the concave lower surface forms the roof of the abdominal cavity. The peripheral part of the diaphragm consists of muscular fibers that take origin from the circumference of the inferior thoracic aperture and converge to insert into a central tendon. The diaphragm is innervated by the phrenic nerve which ensures that it functions properly. The diaphragm is pierced by various apertures to permit of the passage of structures, like important blood vessels, nerves and muscular structures like the esophagus, between the thorax and abdomen. If you’re wondering as to what is the main function of ...

Diaphragm Muscle Weakness The Mayo Clinic Cell and Regenerative Physiology Laboratory is examining basic mechanisms underlying muscle fiber atrophy and weakness in a variety of conditions. Diaphragm muscle weakness is a hallmark of a number of diseases, such as neurodegenerative diseases and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; conditions, such as hypothyroidism, cachexia and sarcopenia; and treatments, such as mechanical ventilation, corticosteroids and chemotherapy. Such weakness, when it occurs, may severely limit the mechanical performance of the diaphragm and compromise the ability to clear the airways or, under extreme conditions, the ability to breathe. Dr. Sieck's research team is focusing on the basic unit of mechanical force in muscle fibers — the cross-bridge. At the molecular level, Dr. Sieck explores the excitation-contraction coupling, mechanics and energetics of four different types of myosin heavy chains that compose different muscle fiber types. Dr. Sieck's laboratory has discovered fiber type differences in cross-bridge cycling kinetics and the mechanical and energetic consequence of changes in myosin heavy chain expression and content in diaphragm muscle fibers. Dr. Sieck's research clearly implicates fiber type differences in the impact of diseases, conditions and treatments on myosin heavy chain expression that impacts muscle fiber cross-bridge cycling resulting in muscle weakness. For example, Dr. Sieck's lab is exploring sarcopenia, the age-related...