The Importance of Thoracic Mobility

The range of motion in the spine’s thoracic area is important for our everyday activities and sports, such as playing golf, rowing, throwing, and tennis. Dysfunction of the thoracic spine area can play a major role in breathing problems and can be linked to postural problems in old age. There are several exercise for thoracic spine pain that can help people reduce the stiffness and pain in their spine.

Read this blog to learn a couple of exercises that can help you release all the stiffness from your back and help you deal with your pain till you go and see a chiropractor.

What Is the Thoracic Spine?
When referring to the thoracic spine, we speak about the middle of the back area that begins from T1-T12. It is the region where most people feel stiffness as the maximum number of activities, we do daily are very anterior dominant.
The issue with stiffness in this region is that it restricts the thoracic extension and the potential to move our arms up above our heads. In some instances, when the range is limited to this region, the body will select the path of least resistance and compensate it below or above the joints.
It lowers the pain, improves function, or enhances physical performance, and paying attention to spinal mobility is essential.

What Is the Importance Of Thoracic Mobility?
We know that the middle section of the back is known as the thoracic spine. It is important to understand why thoracic mobility is important for people. The thoracic spine naturally has less movement than other parts of the spine like the lower back or neck because it supports the ribcage. However, sedentary working and everyday habits often intensify the natural stiffness in the upper back area, causing neck and shoulder pain, stopping you from standing completely upright, or restricting breathing.
So, sustaining good flexibility in your thoracic region can help improve how you move and reduce the pain so that the other body parts don’t have to compensate.

How To Enhance the Mobility And Loosen The Spine Using Exercises?
Like any postural rectification takes time, discipline, and consistency. A combination of mobility exercises and soft tissue treatments from a good chiropractor can help fix this problem. The key regions that need to be focused on for the treatment are pec major, teres major, anterior delts, pec minor, and lats.
Here are some of our favorite thoracic spine exercises that can help you stretch out, release your tight back muscles, and enhance your spinal mobility.

Camel/Cat
Sit on your knees and hands. Exhale outwards and curve your spine until you identify a stretch in your mid-back, inhale in, and let your spine arch the opposite way. While doing this exercise, try to keep your elbows as straight as possible.

Book Opening
To begin this exercise, you need to be on your side with both arms stretched out together. Exhale a breath and turn around so that your ribcage faces the ceiling, letting you raise your arms and go along with the movement till you feel a pull in your chest. Put your knees on the floor. At the finish of the thoracic spine exercises, inhale a deep breath, and as you exhale out, turn back to your starting position again. Repeat this motion six to eight times on each side.

Turn And Reach
Stay in the same position as the camel /cat. As you breathe out, slip your right hand under your left hand and turn from your mid-torso area to reach through. Keep your elbow and left arm strong, straight, and tall. Breathe as you return to your original position and lift your elbow to twist the ribcage away from the supporting arm. Repeat the process six to eight times on both sides. While doing this, make sure to keep your movements controlled and slow.

Side To Side Child Pose
After you have completed your camel/cat stretch, put your hands on one side of the mat and push your pelvis back down to touch your feet, and stretch through the side of your spine. Inhale a deep breath to increase the effect of the stretch and replicate it on the other side. Make sure that you do at least five reps on each slide.