October is National Physical Therapy Month!
October 21, 2022
Let’s Talk About Sleep!
November 4, 2022
This week we’re taking a closer look at thoracic mobility – and why it’s so important for neck, shoulder and low back health. The thoracic spine is made up of the 12 vertebrae just below the neck, along with the 12 ribs that attach to these vertebral bodies to form the rib cage. Resting on top of the rib cage are the two scapulae (i.e., shoulder blades), which act as the “core” for the shoulders and arms.
If the thoracic spine doesn’t extend (i.e., move into what we might call “back bending”) or rotate, then we aren’t able to stabilize the shoulder blades and move through our shoulder joint like we are supposed to. As they are the “core” of the arms, we need to have stable shoulder blades (i.e., proximal stability), to have any arm movement, and especially in order to have efficient over-head arm movement. You wouldn’t fire a cannon from a canoe, would you? Many of the muscles that stabilize the shoulder blades live in the upper back. And when the shoulders and upper back are continuously rounded, many muscles are rendered weak and tired. The shoulder blades are left without stability, and your arms are essentially on their own. This can lead to common dysfunctions such as shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tears, and little-league, tennis, and golfer’s elbow to name a few.
Rounded shoulders and upper back can also wreak havoc on our neck and lower backs. According to the Joint-By-Joint Theory (credit Cook & Boyle), joints should alternate between stability and mobility. Note that this doesn’t mean you need a considerable amount of mobility in all joints, but if an area of our body lacks mobility, our system will typically compensate by overusing the joint above it and/or below it. So, for example, if the thoracic spine lacks mobility, the neck and lower back will have to compensate, resulting in injuries (e.g., general neck and low back pain, headaches, elbow and hand neuropathy, sacroiliac (SI) joint pain and dysfunction).
Restoring thoracic extension and rotation can help with correcting “forward head” posture, and alleviate low back, neck, shoulder, and arm pain. Mobilizing the upper back can also help to fire those scapular stabilizers that we need proper arm movement and will help to bring the head into proper position and take pressure off of your lower back and neck. Taking these steps toward overall improved posture is critical to sustaining long hours in a seated working set-up! No matter what your profession, many of us are on our phones or laptops for anywhere between 80-100 hours a week (sometimes more) and we’re doing it with less-than-optimal posture. If you want to learn more, we highly recommend our previous blogs on posture (click here and here).
Here are two great thoracic spine mobilizations you can do at home to get you started:
Thoracic Extension Over the Foam Roller
Open Book for Thoracic Rotation
Check out our YouTube channel for more thoracic mobility exercises and ways you can change your posture today!
At Beacon Physical Therapy, we support our patients in leading a healthy life and establishing a healthy lifestyle. And remember, if you need help with thoracic mobility, posture, or strategies for an ergonomic desk set up, make an appointment today. We’d love to meet you and get you moving and doing what you love.
