Thoracic spine stiffness

[Rachid Tahri]

I just purchased your book "Stretching & Flexibility" and I am already stretching for a while. especially

my thoracic spine and shoulders. When fully warmed up I can go into a bridge like you can see

.

The problem I get is the days after. My thoracic region the next days fills very very stiff. My back is stiff up to the point that

I can even "crack" my back by tucking my hips under and extending my thoracic spine.

I tried to do the "opposite" stretches after a bridge, but this doesn't help much. Foam rolling helps only at that moment. If I rest for a couple of days

the stiffness goes away but when I do the stretch again, I feel completely stiff the next couple of days again.

Does somebody have some tips or idea's about this? I am doing something wrong here? Help would be very much

appreciated!

[BodylineHealth]

Hi Rachid,

First of all, I watched your video, some very impressive work!

I'm not 100% sure but I have personally experienced a very similar sensation early on. As a remedial therapist, I often find this is a partcularily stiff area for me as well. I found that the more spinal stretching I was doing was awesome initially but made me really stiff the next day. It was shirt lived though (the stiffness) and the eventual release of the spinal muscles outweighed the day-later stiffness.

What I discovered was my spinal muscles were so tight, once these were released (through stretching), i almost seemed to 'destabilise' my spine, thereby transferring the load more onto my facet joints and spine itself as well as other muscles that had 'forgotten' how to work. This meant I had to re- discover what should be working Vs what was actually working (muscular-wise).

In my case, it seemed to be a significant muscular imbalance that, over time and practice, has reconfigured itself. I'm now much free-er and don't get to the same level of stiffness I used to experience.

I hope this has made some sense to you or has been useful in some way. I'm sure other ST's will jump in with their ideas also.

Keep me posted with what you find out.

Holly

[Rachid Tahri]

Holly: Thanks for the reply ! 'Destabilise' is indeed a good description in the sense that I am much more aware of my lower trap muscles, that in the past were 'non existent' ! My back is also 'confused' because I had developed bad posture over the years. So I guess I keep stretching until I no longer feel the pain...

[Kit_L]

Hello Rachid,

Regarding thoracic extension movements: the strengthening aspects are important too, once the desired level of reduced tension has been reached, and the basic range of movement you want has been achieved. This can take a long time so don't rush it. I recommend passive back bending over a support for this phase. The support can be as narrow as you want; the key point is to mobilise the thoracic spine without involving the lumbar spine, and in a completely relaxed way. The full directions are in S&F.

And that clip you linked to shows (in my view) how not to do that pose: all his extension is happening in the lumbar spine if you look carefully, not the thoracic. Can you get someone to video your attempts at the same pose and post the link here so we can see how you are doing it?

Two elements are missing in the way he demonstrates: tuck the tail if you can, before pressing into the back bend (this will require looser hip flexors; tight HFs are the deep reason back bends happen via the lumbar region) and when preparing for that exercise, do the box bridge first.

The box bridge is in the book you have; it is when the feet are elevated 300--600mm, on a stable surface. Once airborne, make sure your arms are pressed as far off the body as you can, and once set, use a leg-straighten action (slowly and gently); this will move the point of maximum bend from the lumbar into the thoracic, in time. It will feel completely different, and much nicer in the body. Stretch out the lumbar spine and the thoracic spine to finish. Please report back!

[shihdavid]

Hi Kit,

From the reply to Rachid, the "Box Bridge" you mentioned is it similar to the one in your youtube video "Glute Activation in three steps" but using a box or chair instead of fitball?

Best regards,

David

[Kit_L]

David, this is a completely different exercise; please re-read Rachid's original post.

Do you have a copy of Stretching & Flexibility? If you do, go to exercise 83, Partner back bend off support; it looks like this:

I am demoing the setup position; and Olivia the end position—can you see that all the bend is happening in her thoracic spine?

Cheers, KL

[shihdavid]

Hi Kit,

Sorry I don't have "Stretching & Flexibility", but thank you for share this important information to me, i have a client have the same problem and i will try this with him in next session.

Thank you again.

David

[Kit_L]

Sorry David I have been flat out, and have no chicken here very often recently.

I would not recommend what we call the Box bridge (the one shown immediately above) for use with your client before the thoracic spine is fully mobilised. As well, I recommend strongly including the shoulder flexion exercises as well as the hip flexor exercises to make sure that all parts of the backward-bending chain can move. The exercise that I think is the most useful for mobilising the thoracic spine is that the Passive backbend off support.

And I have this on YouTube clip and you can find it:

Regards, and please check back in with your results

Kit

[shihdavid]

Hi Kit,

Thank you for the recommendations and i will try wiith my client.

All the best wishes!

David