What Are Breathwork Claw Hands?
Breathwork claw hands (or lobster hands) are known clinically as tetany. Tetany manifests as involuntary muscle contractions, often in the hands causing them to go into a claw-like shape, but it can also occur in other parts of the body. These contractions can vary from mild sensations like tingling, numbness, and a feeling of your fingers being stuck or immobile, to more pronounced spasms and cramps.
While breathwork claw hands are quite common, affecting up to 70% of people who engage in connected breathing for more than 20 minutes, experiencing intense pain or soreness during, or after a session, is much less common, though it can occur. In this article, I’ll share tips for preventing tetany from becoming painful during breathwork and what to do if you experience lingering discomfort after your session.
Why Breathwork Claw Hands May Feel Painful to Some
In my experience as breathwrok facilitator, around 90% of the people I work with need to be coached to breathe deeper and/or faster during their breathwork sessions, while the remaining 10% would benefit from a softer approach. Although tetany can be somewhat uncomfortable, it should not be painful.
Individuals with strong Type-A personalities, tend to experience painful tetany more frequently than others. While a strong commitment to giving it your all in breathwork and in life is admirable, if you’re experiencing painful tetany, it might signal the need for a gentler approach, both in your practice and in your daily life.
Athletes and individuals with significant physical conditioning or extensive breath-holding practices, such as Wim Hof, are also more likely to experience pain from tetany. Their increased lung capacity allows for quicker air exchange, leading to more rapid physiological changes during breathwork, which can result in more pronounced tetany.
Tips to Prevent Painful Breathwork Claw Hands:
Reduce the Intensity & Take a Gradual Approach: If you experience pain from tetany during your breathwork, to reduce the intensity, I recommend keeping your breath connected and focused in your belly but taking a slightly softer-than-usual approach. This is especially crucial during the first few songs of the breathwork journey. Many people who get intense tetany start breathing at 200% right from the beginning, but it’s more effective to start gently and gradually increase the pace as the music builds.
Make Your Exhales Passive: Another key aspect for preventing painful breathwork claw hands is ensuring that your exhale is passive. Forceful exhalations are a leading cause of intense tetany. Avoid blowing out with pursed lips or jerking your stomach in with each exhale. Instead, imagine letting the air fall out of you naturally—make it a passive release.
Switch to Nose Breathing: If you’re taking a gradual approach and making your exhales passive but still experience painful tetany, consider switching to nasal breathing in your breathwork sessions. While most connected breathwork practices use mouth breathing to facilitate more rapid and dramatic physiological shifts and deeper inner journeys, if you’re experiencing pain, you may not need the additional intensity that mouth breathing provides. By transitioning to a nasal connected breathwork pattern, you may soften the intensity enough to reduce discomfort while still achieving meaningful breakthroughs.
Give it Time: Breathwork claw hands can be particularly intense during the initial sessions as your body begins to release stored tension and layers of emotional residue. This intensity often evolves into significant emotional releases or breakthroughs in subsequent sessions. I firmly believe that breathwork always provides us with exactly what we need, precisely when we need it. To release deeply held tensions, traumas, or stuck energy, it’s often necessary to first amplify and fully experience the tension.
Surrender to the Senations & the Experience: By surrendering to what needs to be felt, you open the door to deep release and transformation. Conversely, resisting tetany and trying to avoid it can create anxiety, which often intensifies the physical sensations and leads to greater discomfort. The most important thing to remember when experiencing breathwork claw hands is that you are safe and the sensation is temporary. Once you return to a normal breath, the symptoms will dissipate. Understanding this can help you find the peace of mind needed to surrender to the sensations and explore the messages they may hold.
Managing Residual Pain From Breathwork Claw Hands
While breathwork claw hands are common during sessions, post-session muscle soreness is relatively rare. However, a small number of participants do report experiencing physical discomfort afterward. Although we encourage fully immersing yourself in the physical and emotional aspects of the experience, persistent pain is neither intended nor desired. If you’ve experienced intense tetany and are now dealing with pain or discomfort, there are several strategies you can use to alleviate it and support your recovery:
Take a Warm Epsom Salt Bath: Soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath can help relax your muscles and release excess tension. The magnesium in Epsom salts aids in muscle relaxation and can help soothe sore areas.
Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water to help flush out toxins and keep your body hydrated. Proper hydration supports muscle function and can aid in reducing soreness.
Eat Electrolyte-Rich Foods: Incorporate foods high in electrolytes, such as bananas, avocados, and leafy greens, into your diet. These foods help replenish essential minerals and support overall muscle function.
Engage in Gentle Stretching: Engage in gentle stretching of any areas that feel painful or uncomfortable. Stretching can help release muscle tension and improve circulation, which may ease soreness.
Focus On Rest and Recovery: Allow your body time to rest and recover. Adequate rest is crucial for muscle repair and overall well-being. Avoid strenuous activities that could exacerbate the pain.
Practice Mindful Breathing: Practice mindful breathing exercises to help relax your body and mind. Deep, slow breaths can assist in reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation.
By following these steps, you can help manage any post-breathwork discomfort and support your body’s recovery process. If pain persists or you have concerns, consider reaching out to a healthcare professional for personalized advice and support. Finally, be sure to inform your facilitator about any post-breathwork discomfort you’re experiencing. This will allow them to provide guidance and adjust your approach to help prevent similar issues in future sessions. A well-trained breathwork facilitator will be able to offer personalized strategies and support to ensure a more comfortable breathwork experience.
Why Tetany is Stronger in Connected Breathwork VS Wim Hof
Some of my participants wonder why the breathwork claw hands feel more intense in our sessions then they do during Wim Hif breathing. While both practices use a deep and connected breathing pattern, With Wim Hof breathing, regular breath holds reset your physiology by bringing your CO₂, oxygen, and pH levels back to baseline. These physiological alterations are the primary fuel for breathwrok claw hands. This is why intense tetany is less common in short Wim Hof sessions. However, during a 30+ minute conscious, connected breathwork practice, you are more likely to experience tetany because the continuous, connected breathing keeps your physiology outside of its normal range.
The advantage of not engaging in breath holds is that the physiological shifts induced by connected breathing support non-ordinary states of consciousness, deep somatic releases, and healing breakthroughs. By maintaining a connected breath and avoiding breath holds, most people can achieve more profound self-healing and transformation than with practices that incorporate breath holds.
As a side note, if you regularly practice breath holds and feel tempted to use them during a connected breathwork session despite your facilitator’s guidance, please reconsider. Breath holds in connected breathwork can be dangerous, and you can learn why here.
Uncover the Hidden Messages & Benefits of Tetany in Breathwork
For further guidance on navigating breathwork claw hands and discovering the valuable insights they can offer, you may find this article I wrote on managing tetany and exploring its potential benefits helpful.
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