Name: Playbook - Dr. Caleb Burgess - Thoracic Mobility - Level 3
Uploaded: 2024-04-19T04:48:15.103Z
Duration: 15 min
Description: Thoracic Mobility - Level 3

This is an intermediate level routine (Level 3) to help improve thoracic spine (upper back) mobility, and is meant to be performed once the Level 2 routine does not seem to give the same stimulus as it originally did.

Movement in the thoracic spine is often limited and not performed often enough on a day to day basis for most people, so improving mobility here can not only help to decrease discomfort in the area itself, but also for more optimal movement of the neck (cervical spine), lower back (lumbar spine), and shoulder girdle (shoulders and shoulder blades), as all of these areas connect either above or below the thoracic spine.

- Hold 3 sec per rep

Set up:
- Start sitting relaxed

Movement:
- Slouch down while bringing your chin toward your chest and pretend to "hug" the biggest tree in the world, slowly bring your hands together
- It can help to also think moving your chest backwards from the tree while trying to get your hands as far away from you while "hugging" it
- Hold for prescribed time, and then reverse the movement back to the start position
- Repeat for the prescribed reps

Seated Thoracic Spine Flexion - Tree Hugger

- Hold 3 sec per rep

Set up:
- Place your hands on the wall at about the level of your stomach

Movement:
- Slowly walk backward while pushing your hands into the wall letting your chest move downward toward the ground
- You should hinge at the hips as this happens (butt gets pushed backward)
- Hold for the prescribed time, and then walk back up to the start position
- Repeat for the prescribed reps

Standing Thoracic Spine Extension - Wall Push Walk Away

- Hold 5 sec per rep
- Rest as needed between sides

Set up:
- Lay on your side with your head supported by a pillow (not shown in video)
- Your top arm hand should resting out in front and your bottom arm hand should hold down on the outside of the top thigh near the knee

Movement:
- Slowly rotate the top shoulder and arm/had backward and down toward the ground as far as you can, following the hand with the eyes, to feel a stretch in the middle to upper back

Tips:
- The bottom hand is meant to "tack down" the thighs in place so that the pelvis does not rotate backward with the upper trunk, as this would diminish the effectiveness of the movement
- If you have neck or upper back irritation with the neck movement, try limited neck movement and focus more rotating the shoulder and upper back down toward the ground
- If you have shoulder irritation, don't reach back as far with the hand

Sidelying Thoracic Spine Rotation - Arm Extended (Open Book)

- Hold 3 sec per rep

Set up:
- Sit in front of the wall and place a small rubber play ball (or any other small ball) behind your middle back
- Scoot your butt as far back toward the wall as you can and then behind your knees as close to your chest as possible
- Grab a dowel, stick, broom, etc

Movement:
- Sit up as TALL as possible and then tuck your chin in (make a double chin)
- Push the lower part of the back of your head backward toward the wall and then hold it there throughout the movement
- Lift the dowel/stick/broom overhead, reaching as HIGH as possible while also reaching your hands as far as possible BACKWARD, trying to touch the wall at the top
- Keep your elbows locked out and hold at the top for the prescribed time

Feel:
- Pressure and/or a stretch in your middle to upper back toward the base of your neck and shoulder blades and possible even into your chest
- You may even feel a stretch in your shoulders

Keys:
- EASIER = hands WIDER 
- HARDER = hands CLOSER

Seated Back at Wall Shoulder Flexion with Dowel and Ball

Thoracic Mobility - Level 3

Jovanny

Thoracic Mobility - Start Here!

Leslie

All the information  is greatly appreciated, it will be very useful for my work !
Grettings from Patagonia, Chile.

Thoracic Mobility - Level 3

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