Thoracic Flexion and Rotation:
The thoracic spine is made up of 12 vertebrae from below the neck to the upper part of the lower back. The vertebrae in the thoracic spine are designed to be very mobile in flexion, extension, side flexion, and rotation.
However, far too often, we notice that people are very limited in these movements. Worse off, many are deficient on one side more than the other. This imbalance will show up when doing things that require rotary movement: snow shoveling, throwing, and golfing. Any deficit in thoracic rotation will create pain eventually due to the asymmetry!
Following is an excellent exercise that addresses mobility concerns in all facets of the T-spine’s range of motion (ROM).
Instructions:
On all 4’s, place one hand on the nape of the neck
- WITHOUT bending at the waist and with the supporting arm, tuck and bring the elbow underneath you to attempt to touch the opposite knee
- Re-extend upwards and “flap” the arm open so that you chest is facing away from the the supporting arm
- Repeat this several times per side a couple of times a day and you will slowly gain a lot of mobility in your thoracic spine.
Now get out there and practice!
