What are the reasons for the lack of flexibility of the thoracic spine? 1, first of all, the thoracic spine and the spine around the muscle and fascia restrictions, latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, multifidus, deep spinal rotation muscle, lumbar square muscle and any muscle tightness or fascia restrictions will reduce the mobility of the thoracic spine. 2, bad posture, excessive flexion of the thoracic spine, “C” posture of the population, the thoracic spine flexibility will also be greatly reduced; 3, degenerative joint disease, small joint dislocation or thoracic restriction, etc., are the causes of thoracic spine mobility decline. Lack of thoracic spine flexibility can easily affect the shoulder, neck, lower back and hip joints, but is often easily overlooked. Unfortunately, our daily habits and postures (such as being sedentary, using a computer, playing cards, playing on a cell phone, etc.) can easily contribute to poor thoracic spine mobility. The thoracic spine occupies the largest share of the entire spine (12 thoracic vertebrae, accounting for nearly half of the spine), and according to joint theory, the thoracic spine dominates the flexibility of the trunk, and then the adjacent scapula and lumbar spine below it are the main stabilizers. Decreased mobility of the thoracic spine will lead to a lack of flexibility, which in turn increases the risk of injury to the shoulder joint, cervical spine and lumbar spine, such as the golf swing, without good mobility of the thoracic spine, the lumbar spine will have to do the work of the thoracic spine, which should not be flexible joints flexible, leading to lumbar spine injury. In addition, poor thoracic spine flexibility will also be reflected in the overhead squatting action, the arms can not be lifted, the torso leaning too far forward and other errors. So the flexibility of the thoracic spine to improve the general population, athletes are particularly important. Exercises for thoracic spine mobility are mainly placed in the preparation activities. The following is a schematic diagram of some common training methods for reference, please consult the relevant professionals around you for specific operation specifications. Thoracic spine stretching action 1, cat and dog: limbs supported on the ground and fixed, with the pelvis tilted forward and backward to dominate the spine to do an “S” and “C” shaped action. 2.Sitting posture thoracic extension: sitting on a backrest chair, fixed lumbar spine and the following parts, so that the thoracic spine above the backward extension. Rotation of thoracic spine 1.Kneeling torso rotation training: knees + one hand supported on the ground and fixed, one hand to the side of the head, the torso to the hand lift side direction rotation to the maximum angle. 2, sitting trunk rotation training: sitting and upright trunk, to prevent the lower limbs from moving, you can place a small ball or foam shaft between the knees, clamping, so that it is fixed. Hands crossed behind the head, the thoracic spine dominant trunk rotation to one side. 3.Standing trunk rotation training: high posture, starting action, one hand holding the ball bar, one hand through the support arm below, so that its side scapula fully extended; complete the action, the thoracic spine dominates the trunk, arm rotation to its side direction. Foam axis relaxation of the thoracic spine 1. First, use the foam axis to simply roll the back. This first relaxes the soft tissues of the thoracic spine to reduce potential muscle spasm or stiffness that can cause limited mobility problems. I usually spend about 1 minute rolling back and forth over the area that feels the most tight. 2. We practice thoracic spine extension mobility. When the thoracic spine is in a flexed position, it will be very difficult to perform rotational movements. Therefore, stretching first, followed by rotational improvement movements will be more effective. Try to perform some movement in each segment of the thoracic spine. Using the foam axis as a fulcrum, the lower part (thoracic spine) is stabilized while the upper part is rotated. This is very much a movement for thoracic spine activation, focusing on the level of each individual spine. 3, we have relaxed the muscles, increase the extension of the thoracic spine, now you can come to increase the rotation of the mobility. Again using the foam shaft, much like the second movement, with the foam shaft as the fulcrum. Again, the lower half of the fulcrum is stable, and the upper half starts with a contact point for rotational movements, allowing you to target specific areas for activation. And I prefer to place my hands on the front side of my face, which I feel helps to see the magnitude of the rotation. You can’t rotate too much, or else a compensatory “lumbar rotation” will occur somewhere. When your mobility of rotation improves, you can add a little stretching component. In short, the above exercises are very suitable for golf, boxing, tennis and other sports that require high flexibility of the thoracic spine, including people with hunched backs and chest. Here is a tip: If you have serious spinal problems, we recommend that you first do spinal joint-related adjustments, and then training is safer and more effective!