One of the most frequent effects of prolonged sitting is soreness and restricted movement in your mid-back. Clients who sit at a computer all day frequently lament reduced mobility and stiffness in the middle of their backs. Many people find it uncomfortable when their thoracic spine is less mobile, but it can also indicate an injury is progressing. It might develop into a more significant problem if it needs to be appropriately handled now. Long periods of sitting, whether or not at our computers, can exacerbate the stiffness of the thoracic spine or middle back. Incorporating mobility exercises into our regular routines can assist in achieving measurable gains in thoracic mobility, which is essential for various reasons.

The Thoracic Spine: What Is It?

There are three portions of your spine: the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar. These characterize your neck, mid-back, and lower back in that order. In addition to being the longest part of your smile, the thoracic spine plays a crucial role in your body. The 12 vertebrae in your thoracic spine connect to your ribcage. The rotation, extension or flexion, and side flexion of your abdomen are all greatly influenced by this region of your spine. The thoracic spine, which links to the sternum and rib cage, comprises twelve vertebrae. The properties of the vertebrae and the orientation of the joints between each vertebra influence the movement that can take place. The thoracic spine can move in all three planes, including rotation, side flexion, and flexion and extension. The thoracic spine, where much of our back's process originates, must be preserved!

Thoracic Spine-Related Potential Accidents

The neck, back, and shoulder muscles and joints will have to work harder to compensate for the inflexible thoracic spine, which could result in overuse injuries. For instance, a tennis player with restricted thoracic spine mobility will have to rely more on the shoulder when serving because the thoracic spine is unable to extend. It may result in tennis elbow, rotator cuff tendonitis, biceps tendonitis, etc. Another illustration is rotating your torso while working out or performing daily tasks. Without sufficient thoracic mobility, particularly in rotation, the low back may attempt to make up for it, which increases the compression and shear forces in the lumbar spine and may result in a disc problem.

What Affects My Thoracic Spine When It Becomes Immobile?

Your thoracic spine's loss of motion, which manifests as stiffness, is frequently brought on by prolonged durations of sedentary activity, most frequently by sitting for extended periods. It may be in front of a computer, a TV, or anything else that would require you to sit still for a long time during the day or over several days. There are numerous strategies to reduce the negative consequences of a sedentary lifestyle on your thoracic spine's mobility, even while lifestyle and professional obligations may mean that we don't have much choice about how much of the day we spend sitting down.

Improved Thoracic Spine Mobility Exercises

Hot packs placed on your back's muscles and massage therapy to ease stiffness and tightness may be used as passive physiotherapy for this condition. Physical therapists might prescribe exercises or activities as part of active physiotherapy treatments to aid in the recovery of mobility. Several practices that have been shown to improve thoracic extension and rotation are listed below:

1. Extending the thorax while using a foam roller

Lay on your back over a foam roller placed on the ground at the level of your midback. Put your chin down and bend backward at the midback. To target various regions of the thoracic spine, slowly lower the roller from the level of the top of the scapula to the story of the bottom scapula. At each segment, repeat five times.

2. Thread the needle

Begin on all fours, placing your hands below your shoulders and your knees squarely beneath your hips. Have a neutral spine to start. Exhale and rotate through your midback as you stretch one arm as far under the other as you can. Inhale as you step back opposite, opening your chest as you do so. It would help if you looked at where your hand is going. Fifteen times.

3. Cat-Cow

Begin on all fours, placing your hands below your shoulders and your knees squarely beneath your hips. Exhale, round through the mid-back, pull the ribcage upward, and let your head and neck relax as you complete the cat. Inhale, lift the head and chest, allowing the stomach descends to the floor, and serve the cow. Fifteen times.

4. Side-Lying Thoracic Windmill

To strengthen thoracic extension and rotation, try the side-lying windmill. While lying on your side, stretch your hip at a 90-degree angle while placing your knee on a foam roller. To get your arm to touch the floor on the opposite side, move your top hand around your head.

Conclusion

Lack of mobility in the mid back may contribute to your discomfort if you have neck, shoulder, or low back pain. Joint and soft tissue mobility are encouraged by physical activity. Working to increase thoracic spine mobility can help with posture, pain management, and fighting the harmful health impacts of lengthy periods of sitting.