Reader Jim asks:
"A couple questions about this. I
tried it this morning (after my body had had a chance to warm up a bit from
sleeping). I got to about 120 degrees.
- I assume that I want to keep all of the arms, elbows, hands, etc. tight up against the wall and not moving out away from the wall throughout the stretch, right?
- Do you recommend going as far as I can, and holding that position for 5-10 seconds, then lowering?
- How many repetitions?
- And finally, as a non-practitioner, what are the benefits of flexibility in the thoracic spine? You seem to suggest that there are benefits associated with having flexibility there, but I don’t know what they are.
I have to say that it was a “good” stretch.
Thanks.
Jim
Great questions - Thanks, Jim, for sending them in.
For #1, yes, the objective is to keep the hands and arms, etc. up against the wall and when you notice that you cannot do that, you're at the end of your flexibility. This test/stretch not only effects the thoracic spine but also the shoulder. If you have tightness in the subscapularis, pectoralis minor, for example, you'll have difficulty keeping the arm on the wall through the stretch.
Move your arms up as far as you can and hold the stretch for 5 slow, deep breaths and then release the tension a bit, rest for three breaths and move up again. This cycle will take about 30 seconds. If you can repeat it 5 to 10 times, you'll see substantial improvement. But, listen to your body - which is why I suggested 5 to 10 reps - if you feel tired, or you just feel that you should stop, stop.
As for the benefits of thoracic spine flexibility, the top three are:
- Positioning of the head relative to the rest of the body.
- Improved clearance in the subacromial space of the shoulder.
- Optimal length-tension relationship of the rotator cuff.
When your thoracic spine is relatively stiff, it tends to force the head forward leading to increased pressure in the middle to lower cervical spine. In other words, it's hard to sit or stand up straight.
The subacromial space is a very narrow opening between the acromion and the humerus through which certain tissues must pass (like the supraspinatus tendon). As you lift your arm up over your head, the final 20-30 degrees of motion come from the thoracic spine moving into extension and the scapula sliding back and around on the chest wall. This helps maintain clearance in the subacromial space.
The rotator cuff muscles, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis, are
influenced by the thoracic spine. People whose thoracic spines are stiff usually have a bit more of a forward curve in the spine. This pushes the scapula to the outside of the chest wall and alters the length of the muscles. All muscles have something called a length-tension relationship. There's a length at which the muscle can produce the highest tension and the lowest. Generally, longer and shorter muscle lengths produce less tension. So, a stiff thoracic spine can shift the relative length of these muscles which in turn alters when the muscles produce optimal force. This tends to overload the cuff and create impingement in the subacromial space.
I'm glad you got a "good" stretch. Keep it up.
DK
