Everything You Need
to Know About Your Thoracic Spine
So what is the
thoracic spine?
The thoracic spine is the segment of your spine that spans
your upper and middle back. The thoracic spine is composed of twelve vertebrae
beginning at vertebrae T1 and ending at vertebrae T12.
The thoracic spine is different than other parts of your
spine for a few reasons. For starters, the ribs are attached to the vertebrae
of the thoracic spine. The ribs extend out from the thoracic spine to created a
cage-like shape where many vital organs reside including the heart and the
lungs.
Because of its intimate
relationship with the rib cage, the thoracic spine strongly influences both the
movement of the scapula and the human breathing pattern.
- The position of the
thoracic spine dictates the position of the ribcage, which dictates the
position and functioning of the scapula.
- The position of the
thoracic spine dictates the position of the ribcage, which can either help or
hurt our capacity to breathe efficiently and effectively.
The
thoracic spine is also unique from other segments of the spine because of how
thick/large the bodies of the vertebrae are. The thickness and size of the
vertebral bodies means that the intervertebral discs of the thoracic spine are
very thin compared to the discs in the cervical and lumbar spine. The size and
shape of the thoracic vertebrae also mean that the thoracic spine is prone to
become “tight.”
Why should I care
about my thoracic spine?
In the age of iPhones and tablets,
people spend more and more time hunched over. It is almost as if the modern
world is addicted to flexion of the thoracic spine in the sagittal plane. Not
only does our poor posture lead to internally rotated humerus' and rounded
upper back (kyphosis), but it also leads to an extremely immobile thoracic
spine... And an immobile thoracic
spine can lead to a number of problems.
An immobile thoracic spine:
1.
Perpetuates
poor posture (say that three times fast)
Yes, a “tight” thoracic spine can cause poor poster, but it also makes it
a lot more difficult to correct poor posture. Ever since humans learned to
stand on two feet, one of the body’s goals is to keep the torso upright. In
order to keep the torso upright a few things need to happen, and one of them is
extension of the thoracic spine. When the thoracic spine is “tight” and
immobile, it becomes very difficult to correct poor posture unless we address
the thoracic spine first.
2.
Increases
the risk of injury
Speaking of staying upright, lets
briefly talk about the thoracic spine’s role in a simple back squat and how an
immobile thoracic spine can lead to injury.
Wait, Joe…. How the heck does the thoracic spine play a role in a
squat… I thought squats were for legs!?!
I’m glad that you’re paying
attention, but the thoracic spine does in fact play a role in a squatting
motion. Let me explain.
In a normal back
squat, the hips need to move down and back while the torso needs to remain
somewhat upright. In order to keep the torso upright, two things SHOULD happen:
1.
a slight extension of the lumbar spine and
2.
a significant extension of the thoracic spine.
Well, when the
thoracic spine is tight, the body COMPENSATES by hyperextending the lumbar
spine. This hyperextension leaves the lumbar vertebrate vulnerable to injury
and inevitably leads to low back pain, which is all too common.
3.
Decreases
shoulder range of motion
If you remember from earlier in this post: “The position of the thoracic spine dictates the position of
the ribcage, which dictates the position and functioning of the scapula.”
This
means that when the thoracic spine is tight, the back rounds and the position
of the scapula relative to the ribcage is thrown out of whack. To put it in
simple terms: because things aren’t where they should be, the scapula’s and
therefore the shoulder’s range of motion is severely impaired.
In
addition to this decreased range of motion, a “tight” thoracic spine often
leads to a rounded upper back and internally rotated humerus’, which can cause
a whole host of shoulder issues within itself.
4.
Decreases
power production and impairs overall performance
As you have hopefully gathered, an immobile thoracic spine negatively
influences the mechanics of the scapula and therefore causes a loss
of power for almost any upper body movement that requires the scapula.
In addition to impairing upper body performance, an immobile thoracic
spine causes a decrease in power throughout the body. Lets go back to our squat
example.
When performing a squat, a “tight” thoracic spine causes the
body to COMPENSATE by hyperextending the lumbar spine. This hyperextension of
the lumbar spine takes the spine out of its proper alignment and decreases the
body’s stability. Without getting too technical, when the spine is not in its
proper alignment and the body is not stable, the hips lose some of their
ability to transfer force and generate power. To make a long story short:
An immobile thoracic spine can
negatively impact your ability to generate power with your upper body AND your
lower body.
In addition to impairing power
production, an immobile thoracic spine also hurts performance in other ways.
You may also recall from earlier in this post when I said: “The position of the thoracic spine
dictates the position of the ribcage, which can either help or hurt our
capacity to breathe efficiently and effectively.”
What this essentially
means is that if your thoracic spine is immobile and your back becomes rounded
forward, your ribcage is put under a great deal of pressure. In the “hunchback”
position, the rib cage (and its contents) become compressed. What this
essentially means is that your lungs are not able to fully expand in this
“hunchback” position.
Not only can an
immobile thoracic spine lead to shortness of breath and discomfort, but it also
reduces your ability to bring in a maximal amount of oxygen….. Oxygen, that
thing that your muscles need to work, and that your brain requires to function,
and that you need to stay alive…. Yea oxygen. If you are not able to bring in
the most oxygen that you can, then you are not giving your body the resources
that it needs to function and perform at an optimal capacity.
How can I improve my
thoracic spine mobility?
Go check out my video where I go
through an entire thoracic spine mobility routine:
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