Is Your Ribcage Causing Your Lower Back Pain? The Hidden Posture Link No One Talks About
Lower back pain is one of the most common discomforts people experience, and yet most treatment still focuses on stretching the lower back itself. But what if the real problem isn’t where you feel the pain?
What if your ribcage, the way you hold it, breathe with it, and move it, is quietly driving that tension?
In this blog we’ll look at why the ribcage is one of the most overlooked players in spine and core health, and how Hypopressives use breath-led posture change to help relieve lower back strain from the inside out.
Why Your Ribcage Might Be Behind Your Lower Back Pain
When back pain lingers, we usually blame the muscles around the spine. But the root cause often sits higher up, in the ribcage.
Your ribcage isn’t just a protective cage for your lungs and heart. It’s a major structural element of your posture. When the ribs flare forward or collapse downward, the lower back has to absorb the pressure and compensate.
You may recognise some of these common signs:
A tight or achy lower back (especially after standing or walking)
Difficulty breathing deeply
A posture that feels “off” but hard to correct
Feeling like your ribs stick out at the front
Shallow breathing that lifts the chest
If this sounds familiar, your ribcage may be affecting your lower back more than you realise.
The Ribcage, Core, and Spine: How They Really Work Together
Your ribcage houses the diaphragm which is your primary breathing muscle. This dome-shaped muscle attaches directly to the lower ribs and connects into the whole deep core system.
Here’s what happens when everything functions well:
The diaphragm descends down as you inhale
Pressure spreads evenly around the abdomen
Core muscles activate reflexively
The pelvic floor rises and lowers naturally with breath
The spine is supported from all sides
When the ribcage isn’t aligned well, this system becomes unbalanced:
Misaligned ribs affect how the diaphragm moves
The deep core struggles to stabilise
The lower back muscles grip to take over
The spine absorbs more compression
This is why back stretches and visits to your chiropractor often give only temporary relief because the underlying mechanics haven’t changed.
What Rib Flare and Collapsed Ribs Look and Feel Like
Ribcage alignment issues tend to show up in two primary patterns:
Rib Flare
Lower ribs point forward and upward
Chest thrusts out
Lower back arches excessively (you are supposed to have a lower spine curve, tis is about an excessive one) This increases compression and tightness in the lumbar spine and may create doming or bulging through the abdomen.
Collapsed Ribs
• Slumping posture
• Ribs drop down and inward
• Shoulders round forward This restricts diaphragm movement and weakens core support, leading to tired back muscles that work harder than they should.
Both patterns can contribute to:
Tightness or fatigue in the lower back
Shallow breathing
Pelvic floor imbalance or leaks
Difficulty activating the core effectively
Your ribcage creates the foundation for how your core behaves, not the other way around.
Why Breathing Matters for Lower Back Pain
Breathing is one of the body’s primary stability strategies. The diaphragm regulates internal abdominal pressure, and that pressure is what supports the spine from within.
But many people breathe high into the chest or hold tension around the ribs, often without realising it. This leads to:
Reduced support from the deep core
Excess pressure on the lower back
Stiffness through the spine
Stress-driven patterns like jaw clenching and pelvic floor gripping
Simply put:
When breathing is limited, the lower back does the heavy lifting.
How Hypopressives Realign the Ribcage
Hypopressives are a breath-led postural method designed to improve ribcage alignment, diaphragm movement, and core function.
Here’s how they work:
Rib expansion encourages the ribs to move wide and back and not just up and down.
Apnoea breathing (a breath pause and rib activation after exhale) creates increased volume around area of the diaphragm, creating decompression through the spine
Postural cues help reposition the ribs over the pelvis for better alignment
Pressure management allows the lower back to relax instead of brace
The benefits include:
Less lower back pain and tension
Stronger core support without gripping
A more natural and effortless posture
Better breathing capacity
A lighter, more spacious feeling in the body
By creating space from within, Hypopressives help the ribcage and spine find a smarter, easier way to support movement.
Everyday Habits That Make Ribcage Posture Worse
Modern life shapes our posture, often in unhelpful ways.
Common habits that lead to rib flare or collapse include:
Long hours sitting at a desk or in the car
“Tech posture” — head and shoulders rounded forward
Stress breathing (high chest, held breath)
Exercising with a braced or thrust-forward rib position
Pregnancy and postpartum changes to the abdominal wall
Without noticing, we reinforce patterns that keep the lower back muscles working overtime.
How to Tell If Your Ribcage Is Contributing to Your Pain
A quick check-in:
Do your lower ribs lift or flare when you inhale?
Does your chest lead your posture with an arched lower back?
Do you find it hard to breathe into your sides or back?
Does your belly bulge when you raise your arms?
Does lying flat make your lower back feel tight?
If you answered yes to more than one, your ribcage likely needs retraining, especially alongside the diaphragm and pelvic floor.
Working With Abby: Personalised Ribcage and Core Coaching
If you’ve tried stretching, strengthening, chiroprator or physio and still feel stuck, your ribcage might be the missing puzzle piece.
Abby specialises in:
Ribcage expansion and alignment
Breath-based core activation
Functional posture coaching
Hypopressive training (online and in person)
Postnatal recovery and deep core support
Your Ribcage Is the Key to a Free and Pain-Free Spine
Lower back pain doesn’t always change through stretching the area that hurts.
When the ribcage moves well, the spine breathes better. When the diaphragm has space, the core supports you. When pressure is balanced, the lower back can finally relax.
Posture isn’t fixed — it’s learned. And with the right breath-led approach, it can be relearned.
