Thoracic rotation exercises

The exercise

Let's talk about thoracic rotation!
As an Osteopath, I believe thoracic mobility (aka upper back flexibility) especially rotation is very important.

What is the thoracic?
The thoracic spine is apart of the thoracic cage which collectively is made up of 24 ribs; 12 vertebrae, and the sternum, a very boney cage. The main ‘jobs’ of this cage are protection and movement. A bit contrasting if you think about it. It protects the heart; lungs, liver, kidneys, diaphragm, blood vessels and nerves, (just a minor job). The other main job is movement. The movement part is where we can help, movement of all of those joints of the ribs, vertebrae and sternum allows for the absorption of forces and shock; it keeps the stress away from your neck and lower back. Movement and shock absorption are particularly important in those who play sports such as tennis and golf which require a good range of rotation to perform optimally.

At Get Strong physiotherapy & osteopathy we help our patients improve their thoracic mobility through both hands-on treatment and exercises.

How to do it

Here are a few examples of exercises we use to help:

Sitting rotation exercises are easy to do at your desk! Keep yourself sat up tall and just turn as far as feels comfortable.

Plank to downward dog foot taps are great to encourage rotation while your upper body is loaded. Be controlled with this movement and try to keep your shoulders away from your ears at all times.

Threading the needle is a classic yoga rotation exercise which goes through a large range of movement. Don't let your low back arch as you bring your arm up above yourself.

Give them a try and let someone know who you think could benefit from better upper back mobility!