Taking care of your Thoracic Spine
Upper Back Pain? Lets Fix That. 👇🏻
Here's what's up: we spend a lot of time these days sitting, hunched forward, working on our computers. Not all of us. But MOST of us.
Spend enough time in a flexed position and your spine will feel stiff when moving into extension. This could be because of short-term changes to your discs, chronic stretching of the posterior muscles and ligaments. Your nervous system, or rather IGNORING your nervous system as it cues you multiple times during the day to CHANGE your posture, will play a major role in this sensation of stiffness.
So we need to spend time weekly, DAILY, signaling to our body that thoracic extension is IMPORTANT. Train it consistently and the signal will be "we consistently need more extension".
Consistency forces adaptation. We build behavioral habits, and exercise or habitual activity/positioning will build STRUCTURAL habits: decreased muscular tension and increased mobility/excursion, increased strength, improved balance and proprioception…
All the things.
The paradigm for training increased mobility, increased SPINAL mobility but also ANY mobility is this: free up the movement, then load through the newly released range of motion.
MOBILIZE. THEN UTILIZE.
MOBILIZE. THEN UTILIZE.
I usually pick 1-2 mobilization exercises, and follow them with resisted exercises (bands, dumbbells, kettlebells) that move me through that sticky range.
5 reps, holding each position for 5 seconds, breathing in each position for 5 seconds, then performing 5 reps of a full range of motion resistance exercise specific to the mobilized region immediately after…
5 reps mobilization, 5 reps resistance, repeat 5 times…
And if I'm feeling stiffer than normal, I'll do a mobilization exercise while I'm recovering from a heavier loaded exercise, like push presses, pullups, rows, etc.
Keep in mind that these exercises and activities should be making you feel BETTER. More mobile. Listen to your body.
Below is an example of the protocol that I use for my own upper back when things get…SPICY.
And here’s the gear I use in the videos. The DaVinci has been a staple for me for YEARS now.
Theraball: https://amzn.to/46DSLTQ
DaVinci Tool: https://amzn.to/3N5eOfh
#holistichealth #physicaltherapy #fitness #fitnessmotivation #injuryprevention #mindset #lowbackpain #lumbarspine #backpain #spinehealth #yoga #endbackpain #physicaltherapystudent #chiropractic
