Thoracic Spine Mobility (BIG CHANGES!)

Today Dr. Aaron Horschig discusses a few simple ways to screen your thoracic spine mobility and corrective exercises to address your restrictions. These include:

1) Foam Roller Extension
2) Prayer Stretch
3) Box T-Spine Stretch
4) Seated Rotation & Side Bend

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The thoracic spine (mid back) is an area of your body that is inherently stable. It has to be to protect our vital organs. However, if we don't have enough mobility in this area, our barbell technique (especially with overhead lifting) suffers and we can easily develop pain elsewhere in our body as compensation.

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Music credits

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Special thank you to Evan Pierson Productions for his help in making this video!

[MorganRhodes-bq]

I never comment on videos, but I had too because this genuinely changed my life. I’m 17 year old soccer player and I was playing at a high level MLS academy when I hurt my hip. I have been struggling with hip pain for over a year now and struggled with shoulder pain and winged scapulas for close to 2 to 3 years. Recently, I tore my groin completely and had surgery to repair it. Even after surgery it wasn’t really getting better and didn’t feel right. I started looking through your channel to fix my shoulders and I found this and another thoracic spine mobility video. I did these exercises and when I went to do my rehab for my groin, it felt completely normal again and also it completely fixed my shoulders. I had no ideas what it was like for my muscles to work normally. Thank you so much. I can’t put into words how happy I am. This is only after a couple days of doing the exercises, but hopefully I can make a progression fully back to soccer.

[tejachmay]

Testing
3:00 and 4:10

Exercises
5:30 Foam Rolling
6:45 Prayer Stretch
8:06 Box-T-Spine Stretch
8:55 Lat Variation
10:37 Seated Rotation and Side Bend

[Well_Earned_Siesta]

Many years ago an occupational therapist told me that thoracic mobility is one of the most important things you can do as you age. She explained, “Once you can’t wipe your own backside, I don’t care how much your family loves you, the chances of them putting you in a nursing home go up exponentially each day.”

[systemsoversymptomsvisionw]

This is awesome, thank you. What a time to be alive, that people can access such help on the fly, anywhere in the world.

[psychoone]

The first time I did the stretch from 4:23 something popped gently in my middle back. The pain and stiffness I had for the last few weeks is gone. Thank you so much! I'll doing those on a regular basis.

[scott-richardson]

These mobility exercises truly make a huge difference. I have suffered with a super stiff cement-like mid back for years and recently started doing these mobility drills plus a few others and the difference was almost immediate.

[Peter-dley]

Everything you put out is excellent, and contributes to what I call "body intelligence". Love all your content, the clear descriptions, directions and delivery! Many thanks for sharing your e exercise genius with us!

[nicholasgasper]

I was able to lay down totally flat without something under my head for the first time in probably 15 years thanks to your videos. My back has been a horror my entire life, I’m really trying to fix that and I am so happy to have found you.

[NguyenNguyen-xvli]

I can not thank you enough for this video and the stretches and exercises. Immediately after doing these about 30 minutes later I can feel the tension in my rhomboids and traps ease and my shoulders don't feel as rounded anymore. The amount of pain that has been relieved almost makes me want to cry. THANK YOU !

[SquatUniversity]

The #SquatUclub is now on YouTube! As soon as I upload a new video, "like" it and comment with the hashtag #SquatUclub ASAP. I'll pick amongst those who do so within 1 hour of the video going live and pick one winner to start working on whatever you need help with (squat technique, an achy hip, help with back pain during deadlifts, etc). You must be SUBSCRIBED to my YouTube channel for a chance to win. Turning on notifications by clicking the little bell next to the SUBSCRIBE button on my channel will make sure you can be first in line to win every time!


I’ll reply under the winners comment - so make sure you keep up on your notifications!

[jayeprice]

My thoracic spine has been sore for months. These stretches have helped immensely!

[shanemotyl]

I have recently been struggling with my overhead squats and have come to believe that the issue is my thoracic spine preventing me from doing anything decent. I almost always have pain in my upper back area around my shoulder blade area that causes me to feel a little stiff. I tried a couple of these stretches and could feel the difference immediately! I'm not saying that it's a magic fix-all remedy, but you know that I'll be adding it to my warm up routine in the hope it will improve my squat. Thank you so much for this.

[bradymigel]

It is imperative that you have the roller for the rotation thing with the pvc pipe. I did not use a roller and I was standing. I got injured because I was rotating w the lower back.

[lawrencemartin]

I’ve had one go at these and my back feels so much looser already, thanks very much

[ConstructiveMinds]

You fully deserve a tip from every positive comment.

[POV]

I absolutely love your book and all of your knowledge has helped me rebuikd my own body to become stronger and understand truly the biomechanics of my own body. Thank you so much. I just became a personal trainer and i am so deep into biomechanics and possibly want to become a PT.

[peterchurchill]

Excellent articulation of T-Spine management!

[tobilifts]

Thank you so much for this video Aaron! My back felt the best in a few months after doing the last strech for a few times

[afari]

My back had been killing me after the last two days of work, did a few of these stretches with my foam roller and holy shift I feel like a new man

[chigongmadeeasy]

in qigong also the first thing is to keep your spine straight - it helps heal so many issues in the body