Dr Waj Hoda: Why You're Breathing Wrong (And How It's Causing Back Pain)

Dr. Waj Hoda is a chiropractor at Totum Life Science who specializes in Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS) and the connection between breathing mechanics and injury prevention. He explains why most people breathe incorrectly, how shallow mouth breathing causes low back pain, and how retraining the diaphragm creates automatic spine stability without extra effort.Waj breaks down why nasal breathing produces nitric oxide that improves oxygenation, how the diaphragm creates intra-abdominal pressure that stabilizes the spine (the volleyball analogy), and why mouth breathing in children changes the shape of their jaw and increases anxiety. He explains how to assess your own breathing quality, why belly breathing cues are often wrong, how box breathing reduces acute pain and muscle guarding, and the simple 5-10 breath exercise done three times a day that retrains diaphragmatic function. This episode reveals why breathing is free medicine for chronic pain, performance, anxiety, and recovery.00:00 - Intro01:04 - Why Breathing Is Taken for Granted03:26 - Nasal vs. Mouth Breathing: Why It Matters05:05 - Nitric Oxide, Vasodilation & Oxygen Intake07:24 - Why Mouth Breathing Changes Jaw Shape in Children09:42 - Stacy's Daughter: How Mouth Breathing Affects Kids' Behavior11:48 - The Diaphragm Explained: How Breathing Stabilizes Your Spine14:04 - Intra-Abdominal Pressure: The Volleyball Analogy17:02 - The Difference Between 2cm and 10-12cm Diaphragm Excursion18:12 - Box Breathing for Acute Pain & Muscle Guarding22:05 - How to Assess Your Own Breathing Quality25:43 - Why "Belly Breathing" Cues Are Often Wrong29:01 - The Diaphragm Is a Muscle You Can Train33:19 - How Sedentary Life & Devices Weaken the Diaphragm40:39 - The Best Exercise to Retrain Diaphragmatic Breathing