Thoracic aches and pains. Cervical aches and pains. Shoulder aches and pains.
These three areas are so interconnected that without the principle of mobility, stability and strength in all three of these areas, harmonic stability is compromised.
In this post, let us look at the basics and once we understand those, then we can delve even deeper!
On numerous occasions I have had clients walk into our studio with report after report after report from so many health care or movement professionals. Their frustration levels are high, their results are few and they feel that there is no hope of improvement.
THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE! Kyphotic spines seem to be treated in the same manner as everything else. STRENGTHEN IT!
But there is one problem, they can’t move it so how do you want them to strengthen it? They seem to get this general program of prone ‘thoracic’ back extension and when we observe them doing the exercise that they were given on a ‘piece of paper’ to do at home, their execution is very poor. I will state it as a fact that minimal long term improvement will occur and the current injury or problem will worsen or reoccur.
Why were they not given thoracic mobilization into extension? I just don’t get it? Why were they given the exercise to do at home that they clearly cannot do when you are teaching them? How are they supposed to get a positive outcome if they are not even able to do the exercise effectively in your facility?
Thoracic strengthening can only occur once the joints are mobile enough to get into extension. This seems self explanatory. So why is it not happening this way?
We have to take a look at the mobility of the following joints:
- Gleno-humeral joints
- Cervical spine
- Thoracic spine
Now we are talking! Now we have a plan and now we know where to start with creating a program that is 100% client specific.
If you ignore the importance of the above 3 areas mobility, then you must expect the following compensations in each repetition;
- Cervical extension
- Lumbar extension
- Shoulder extension
Which are all an illusion of what you are trying to achieve …….THORACIC EXTENSION!
If the above compensations occur, then the exercise is and was pointless.
The golden rule is:
Ensure mobility is achievable and only then start targeting the thoracic extensors against low to medium load! When we learn about the spine, its movements and its ranges in all of the literature, we end up generalizing spines and how they should move. But when you have worked with thousands of people, you come to realize that something is wrong with what we are reading. Our clients do not fit into any of these categories and we know they are human (hahaha). This is where the big adventure begins… who are they, what spines do THEY have and how does THEIR SPINE move?
THAT IS THE HEALTHY TRUTH!
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Author: Tanya Thompson – Founder of Of-CourseOnline.com
