What is the Thoracic Spine?
The thoracic spine makes up the middle portion of your spine. It is responsible for most of your spinal rotation and bending. The ribs and a number of skeletal muscles attach to the thoracic spine to provide stability for your back.
Mobility in your thoracic spine is essential for proper function and mechanics of the back, neck, and shoulders. Often, because we sit a lot during our daily lives, ie. work, studying, driving, eating, etc. our thoracic spine tends to be immobile (stiff).
Why Thoracic Mobility is Important
Direct injuries to the thoracic spine are not common. Instead, problems in this area often stem from a lack of mobility. Due to the sedentary nature of modern life such as prolonged sitting, the thoracic region frequently becomes less mobile.
A lack of mobility in this section of the spine can contribute to pain in the neck, lower back, and the shoulders as well as contribute to poor posture.
For athletes, limited thoracic mobility can impact throwing a ball, swinging a golf club, a bat, or a tennis racket. This can result in injury/and or poor performance.
Exercises to Improve Mobility of Thoracic Spine
Performing simple exercises on a regular basis can help improve the thoracic spine mobility and decrease the risk for injuries.
Below are a few simple mobility exercises to perform that require minimal or no equipment.
Physical Therapy and Thoracic Spine Mobility
Physical therapy can be one of the most effective ways to help improve thoracic spine mobility and decrease risk for injury. Our team of physical therapists will provide an individualized treatment plan including strengthening and mobility exercises as well as manual techniques to help improve your mobility and function.
Call our office today to set up an appointment!
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