---
title: "Breathe Easy This Spring: An Osteopathic Approach to Allergies and Asthma"
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canonical_url: "https://www.bodycotoronto.com/blog/osteopathic-approach-to-allergies-and-asthma"
markdown_url: "https://www.bodycotoronto.com/llms/blog/osteopathic-approach-to-allergies-and-asthma"
lastmod: "2026-05-30T16:00:00.000Z"
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## Too long, didn't read?

Spring allergies don't just stuff up your nose — they lock up your ribs, strain your jaw, fog your brain, and stall your digestion. That's because breathing is a full-body mechanic, and when allergies force you into shallow, panicked breathing, everything downstream pays the price.

Osteopathy works with your structure, nervous system, and organs to help you actually breathe this season — not just survive it. Andrew Feshanets, D.O.M.P. at Body Co. uses rib mobilization, visceral manipulation, and craniosacral therapy to address both the obvious symptoms and the surprising ones most people chalk up to "just being tired."

Three things you'll take away from this blog:

- Why allergies cause jaw pain, ear fullness, bloating, and brain fog

- How osteopathy addresses the root mechanics — not just the symptoms

- Three exercises you can try at home today

Spring is finally here!

The trees are budding, the days are getting longer, and we can finally shed our winter coats. But for many of us, the changing season also brings the dreaded arrival of pollen, sniffles, chest tightness, and that persistent, shallow breathing.

When we are congested or struggling to pull in a full breath, our bodies adopt a "panic" breathing pattern.

We start using the muscles in our neck and shoulders to heave our chests upward, rather than letting our diaphragm do the heavy lifting. Over time, this locks up our rib cage, tightens our fascia, and leaves us feeling fatigued and physically wound up. These physical reactions end up compounding the chemical reactions associated with allergies and asthma.

However, breathing isn't just about the lungs — it is a full-body mechanic involving your bones, muscles, organs, and nervous system. Because our respiratory, lymphatic, and nervous systems are deeply intertwined through a continuous fascial network, a restriction in your breathing creates a cascading effect throughout your body.

Here is a look at how osteopathy can help you breathe a little easier this season, and resolve some of the surprising side effects of seasonal allergies.

## The Mechanics of a Deep Breath

### 1. Freeing the Cage (Structural + Fascial Work)

Think of your rib cage like an accordion. To draw a deep breath, those ribs need to expand outward and upward smoothly. However, chronic coughing, wheezing, or shallow, allergy-driven breathing can cause the upper ribs, thoracic spine, and surrounding fascia to become rigid and tight. By gently mobilizing the ribs and releasing the connective tissue around your chest and spine, we can restore the natural "bucket handle" motion of your ribs, allowing your lungs the physical space they need to fully inflate without restriction.

### 2. The Organ Connection (Visceral Manipulation)

Most people don't associate their organs with their breathing, but your respiratory engine — the diaphragm — is essentially a muscular umbrella resting right on top of your liver and stomach. If there is tension in the suspensory ligaments of your lungs, or if your liver or stomach are congested and restricted, they can literally block the diaphragm from descending properly. Visceral manipulation gently releases these organ-to-diaphragm connections, freeing up the mechanical space needed for a deep, satisfying breath.

### 3. Calming the System (Craniosacral Therapy)

Asthma and allergies are essentially your immune and nervous systems going into overdrive — treating harmless pollen like a dangerous invader. This kicks your body into a sympathetic "fight or flight" state, which naturally constricts your airways. Craniosacral therapy works gently with the central nervous system to help downregulate this sympathetic neurological dominance. By releasing dural tension (the membrane housing your brain and spinal cord) and supporting the vagus nerve (which influences bronchial relaxation), craniosacral therapy helps shift your body back into a calm, "rest and digest" state.

## The Ripple Effect: Surprising Symptoms of Allergy Season

Because your body operates as an interconnected structure, struggling to breathe rarely just affects the lungs.

Manual therapy can also address these secondary symptoms that flare up during allergy season:

- Sinus Pressure & "Allergy Headaches": Congestion is essentially a plumbing issue — poor lymphatic and venous drainage from the head. By treating the thoracic inlet (where fluid drains) and performing cranial work to improve the compliance of the facial bones, we can clear the pathway and help to relieve pressure throughout your sinuses and the whole head.

- Jaw Pain & TMJ Dysfunction: Congestion forces chronic mouth breathing, which alters your resting tongue posture and puts mechanical stress on the jaw. Furthermore, overworked accessory breathing muscles in your neck attach right near the temporal bones (the "roof" of your TMJ). Fascial release and cranial work can relieve this mechanical load on your TMJ.

- Ear Fullness & Popping: Ears that feel "stuffy" or "congested" are common when the eustachian tubes can't drain fluid properly. Because these tubes run through the temporal bones, cranial techniques that balance the tension within the cranium can help them open and close effectively, improving drainage and congestion.

- Sluggish Digestion & Bloating: Your diaphragm doesn't just pull in air — it physically massages your stomach and intestines with every breath. When asthma or allergies lock your diaphragm in a flattened position, your gut loses that rhythmic massage, leading to stagnant motility and bloating. Visceral treatment helps restore this vital rhythmic movement.

- Brain Fog & Fatigue: Surviving on shallow, apical breaths while your immune system fights phantom invaders is exhausting. Normalizing the craniosacral rhythm helps shift your body out of its defensive "fight or flight" posture so you can finally get restorative sleep and clear the fog.

## At-Home Relief: 3 Quick Exercises to Help Today

While hands-on treatment is highly effective, there is plenty you can do at home to maintain your mobility. Try these simple DIY exercises when you are feeling tight or congested:

### 1. The "Bucket Handle" Rib Stretch

- How-to: Sit upright. To open up your left ribs, reach your left arm up and over your head, gently bending your torso to the right. Let your right arm relax. Take 3 to 5 deep, slow breaths, focusing entirely on breathing into that open, stretched left side. Visualize the ribs expanding outward and upward like a bucket handle with each inhale. Slowly return to centre and switch sides.

Why it works: This opens up the lateral rib cage and stretches the intercostal muscles between the ribs that get locked up from shallow breathing.

### 2. Accessory Neck Muscle Massage

- How-to: Take your index and middle fingers and gently massage the thick muscles at the front and side of your neck (running from behind the ear down to the collarbone). Use a very light, downward sweeping motion. Do not press hard. You can also use a lacrosse or massage ball for a similar effect. Follow this by looking up slightly and gently pushing your collarbones downward to stretch the front of the neck.

Why it works: This relieves the "accessory" breathing muscles in your neck that get overworked when we are congested, helping your shoulders finally drop away from your ears.

### 3. Diaphragmatic "Sandbag" Breathing

- How-to: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Place a moderately heavy book (or a small bag of rice) right on your belly button. As you inhale, focus only on making the book rise toward the ceiling. As you exhale, let it sink.

Why it works: This provides excellent physical feedback to retrain your brain and body to use the diaphragm, rather than relying on the tired muscles of your chest and neck.

You don't have to spend the entire spring feeling tight, restricted, and out of breath. If you are noticing that your allergies or asthma are taking a toll on your posture, your digestion, or your ability to take a full, deep breath, manual therapy can make a world of difference.

## Meet Andrew

Andrew has training in Osteopathy, Massage Therapy, and has completed an undergrad in Kinesiology at the University of Toronto. While at UofT, he spent time as both a varsity football athlete and a student athletic therapist working with the men's varsity basketball and volleyball teams. It is there that Andrew developed a passion for sport medicine, physical therapy, and the human body as a whole.

As a former athlete, Andrew has a special appreciation for the important role movement plays in allowing us to be at our daily best. He believes in a holistic approach to treatment focused on restoring functional movement throughout the body. He is experienced in working with all ages and individuals from all walks of life to help restore balance to their bodies and achieve their goals.

Andrew specializes in acute and chronic conditions and traumas, with a special interest in the head and neck. Andrew has also completed additional training for treatment in post-concussion syndrome.

As part of Andrew's osteopathic training, Andrew has completed a research thesis centred on "The Effect of Osteopathic Treatment of the Cranio-Facial Region on Nasal Patency" — focused on the interrelationship of nasal respiration and osteopathic cranial treatment. Through this work, Andrew has experience training, educating, and treating individuals suffering breathing difficulties and breathing pattern disorders of all origins.

[Book with Andrew →](/team/andrew-feshanets)