Exercises for the thoracic spine

Disruption of the muscles of the thoracic spine leads to various types of pain in the thoracic back, in the ribs, across the entire shoulder girdle and in the neck. It is difficult to identify a clear reason for such violations. This can be either a lack of training or chronic overload, carrying heavy objects, hypothermia, stress, etc. All this leads to shortening of the back muscles and spasms, which causes pain.

The thoracic spine is the least susceptible to the formation of hernias and protrusions, but sometimes they are found there too. Comprehensive strengthening of the back and deep muscles of the spine means the absence of pain and the key to the health of the entire spine, as well as excellent prevention against intervertebral hernias and protrusions.

A set of effective and simple exercises at home will help you independently restore and strengthen the muscles of the thoracic spine and cure a sore back.

My personal recommendation: before starting the exercises, undergo 2-3 sessions of deep massage and PIR (post-isometric relaxation) from a qualified muscle dysfunction specialist.

Clothes should be loose, it is advisable to remove shoes. Perform all exercises (especially the first days) smoothly and gradually. Remember the important principle: “Endure mild pain, do not allow severe pain.”

Do these exercises daily for at least 2 weeks.

Intended Benefit

Pain in the thoracic region, swelling, weakness and increased fatigue - all these signs can be eliminated by proper exercise therapy. The complex is formed by a specialist, taking into account the stage of vertebral degeneration, the patient’s weight, height, lifestyle, and the presence of concomitant pathologies.

Exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis solves several problems at once:

relieves problems with blood circulation. Since the pathology in question is dystrophic in nature, training helps eliminate the lack of nutrition of the nerves and musculoskeletal structures that make up the spine;
strengthens the muscle corset. Weak muscles located near the spine cannot withstand all the loads placed on them. This feature is the cause of damage to the bone base of the spinal column, which is not capable of independent regeneration. Exercise for thoracic osteochondrosis is a confident step towards “returning” the spine to its physiological position, restoration to its original, physiological form;
eliminates spasm. Overstrained muscles are the cause of back pain due to osteochondrosis. Relaxation of muscle fibers is a prerequisite for improving well-being by reducing the likelihood of pain.

The thoracic spine suffers less than the cervical or lumbar spine, which bear the main load. For a speedy recovery, you need to know the reasons for the development of pathology. It is useless to undergo a physical therapy program if the negative impact on the spine continues.

Dr. Sperling comments:

How to properly restore your back?

At the initial stage of rehabilitation, you should not perform exercises to stretch the thoracic spine at home. The main rule of exercise therapy is that classes must be supervised by an instructor. It is he who selects a set of exercises and doses the load. It is recommended to adopt some of the exercises and use them yourself if you suddenly experience back pain. But you need to perform exercises for the neck and thoracic spine at the same pace as in training, trying not to exceed the number of approaches prescribed by the instructor.

Any activity should begin with a warm-up, the task of which is to warm up the muscles and make them more elastic. For many people suffering from diseases of the musculoskeletal system, pain in the back may disappear at the preparatory stage. For some, on the contrary, the pain intensifies - in this case, performing a specific exercise for the lumbar-thoracic spine should be abandoned for a while. However, this does not mean that you need to stop studying. It is necessary to report the problem to the instructor, who will select other exercises or adjust the level of physical activity.

It is important to remember that exercise and rest should be alternated. After each approach, experts recommend performing exercises to relax the thoracic spine. At the same time, it is advisable to increase the load within one lesson, which allows you to strengthen and pump your back muscles. No matter how effective exercises for the thoracic spine are, they are unlikely to help if exercises are not carried out regularly. Those who have problems with their back and joints should make it a rule to go to exercise therapy at least twice a week. Physical education with constantly increasing loads should now become a part of their life.

Diseases of the thoracic spinal region

Most vertebral pathologies occur in the cervical and lumbar zone. But diseases that occur in the thoracic region are no less unpleasant and can have serious consequences for the functioning of the entire body.

By the way. In the zone of influence of the thoracic vertebrae there are such important organs as the heart and lungs. The spinal cord passes through the spinal canal of the thoracic region. Nerve roots come from it. There are countless blood vessels around. And this entire structure is supported by muscles.

The spine is a mobile structure. Thanks to this, a person can bend, arch his back, turn, but most importantly, he can walk using only his two lower limbs. This also applies to the thoracic area, the mobility of which is significantly limited by the ribs.

Spine movement

For this area, the development of flexibility is very important, since rarely used and poorly trained pectoral muscles tend to atrophy, as happens, for example, when wearing an orthopedic corset for a long time. In this case, the natural corset is the ribs, and it cannot be removed at will.

For almost all pathologies localized in the thoracic area, exercise therapy is always present among the methods of therapy.

Table. The purpose of therapeutic exercises for pathologies of the thoracic spine.

Disease	The purpose of exercise therapy
Spondylolisthesis	With this disease in the thoracic area, exercises are needed that train the muscles, strengthen the ligaments and form a strong muscular corset that physiologically fixes the bone apparatus, preventing the vertebrae from moving relative to each other.
Scoliosis	Poor posture is most often observed in the chest area. With this pathology, the spinal column is curved sideways in the form of a crescent or the letter C. The pathology refers to deformities of the growth period. And as long as the disease has not progressed to the third and fourth degrees, the disorder can be corrected. Along with other therapeutic methods, therapeutic exercises play an important role in the success of correction.
Kyphosis	With this pathology, the spine also turns out to be curved, but from front to back. A stoop is formed, which can become visible already in the second stage of the disease and cause pain. The disease is common, and in its later stages causes numerous complications in the form of severe pain, difficulty functioning of the cardiac and pulmonary systems, disorders in the digestive tract and neurological problems. Usually pathological kyphosis begins first at puberty. Later, scoliotic curvature joins it and kyphoscoliosis is formed, disrupting the functioning of not only the thoracic area, but also the entire spine.
Kyphoscoliosis	Of course, in the treatment of the second and third stages of kyphoscoliosis, with severe pain, medications that relieve them are used. But in the first two stages, the main therapeutic methods of treatment are corsetry and therapeutic exercises. Gymnastics is one of the main ways to combat kyphoscoliosis due to the fact that the disease manifests itself during the period when the body has not yet completed bone growth and the skeleton has not yet completed its formation. Therefore, an illness detected in a child can be completely cured only until the skeleton has hardened. Exercise is a very effective method of correcting pathology. 1. For kyphoscoliosis in the first degree, only physical therapy is prescribed. 2. In the second, the purpose of a corset is added to it. 3. In the third, patients are recommended to combine the two methods mentioned above, plus massage, physiotherapy, and swimming.
Osteochondrosis	The most popular and serious pathology, which is often found in the thoracic region. It destroys bone tissue, and if the process is not stopped, a person may soon become disabled. Most often, compression of the spinal cord begins in the chest and neck area. This phenomenon is called cervicothoracic osteochondrosis. Since complications of osteochondrosis include arthrosis, in the progressive stage of the disease, motor ability decreases, and the patient begins to feel a stiff body. Osteochondrosis, like other diseases, is difficult to treat, both in the acute and chronic stages. Therefore, it is advisable to stop the development of pathology at the initial stage, with the help of therapeutic physical exercises. Special gymnastics for the thoracic region eliminates pain and activates the therapy process.
Hernia	With this disease of the intervertebral discs, chest pain occurs due to complex processes that contribute to the destruction of the fibrous ring and the formation of a hernial protrusion. The pain syndrome is relieved with medication, then the patient is sent for further treatment to massage, physiotherapy and, of course, gymnastics. It helps strengthen the muscular system of the back and alleviate the pathological condition of the spine, normalize motor function in the thoracic area and minimize the likelihood of pinched nerve roots. Read also: Is it possible to run with a herniated lumbar spine?

Who is contraindicated for physical activity?

Exercises for the cervicothoracic spine can strengthen the muscular system and speed up blood flow, but there are certain limitations when performing them. It is not recommended to start classes for people who:

coordination of movements is impaired or there are problems with the vestibular apparatus;
high blood pressure;
exacerbation of any chronic diseases.

Any surgery on the musculoskeletal system also imposes restrictions on the performance of exercises for the flexibility of the thoracic spine. You can start classes after examination and consultation with a specialized specialist.

Warm-up and preparation

Gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis at home must begin with a warm-up. It is very important, even if at first glance it seems that it is not so. The quality of your workout, as well as your well-being after it, depends on how responsibly you approach it. Without warming up, it is easy to get injured because the muscles are not ready for the load. So, to warm up, do the following exercises, standing and ten times:

Press your body against the wall, checking that your heels and the back of your head are in the desired position. Take two steps forward, keeping your torso in the same position.
Squeeze your shoulder blades together for five seconds and return them back.
Pull your shoulders forward, similar to what you did with your shoulder blades, for five seconds. Return to the starting position.
Raise and lower your shoulders up and down together.
Raise your shoulders one at a time.
With your palms on your shoulders, rotate your elbow joint in one direction and the other.

After this, you can move on to the training itself.

Training effectiveness

Daily exercises help increase the range of motion in the thoracic spine and eliminate muscle spasms. And after performing stretching exercises, the distance between adjacent discs and vertebrae increases. They stop squeezing the spinal roots, which allows you to avoid the risk of acute, piercing pain. What positive changes are still happening:

surges in blood pressure, panic attacks, and dizziness, often caused by pinched vertebral arteries, disappear;
the muscles of not only the thoracic region, but also the entire back, as well as the neck and shoulder girdle are strengthened;
ventilation of the lungs improves, which allows patients not to worry about pain when taking a deep breath;
blood circulation in the area of vertebral structures affected by osteochondrosis is accelerated, nutrient reserves are replenished;
Correct posture is formed and the physiological curves of the spine are restored.

Physical therapy exercises are indicated not only for patients with osteochondrosis. They are recommended for people who are at risk of premature disc failure. As a rule, their work involves staying in one body position for a long time.

Additional recommendations

In severe stages of the disease, in addition to exercise, the following rules of conduct in everyday situations are recommended:

Try to bend over as little as possible during the day - while cleaning the house or lifting various objects from the floor. If these movements cannot be excluded, be sure to keep your back straight when bending.
It is important for women to purchase a bra that matches their body parameters and does not tighten the chest area. Incorrect selection of underwear is a favorable condition for deformation of the thoracic vertebrae.
Reduce daily rotations and twisting of the body to facilitate the functioning of the intervertebral discs, reducing the load on them.
Avoid prolonged stays in uncomfortable, fixed positions.

It is advisable to use a special bandage (corrector). The device is especially useful if osteochondrosis of the thoracic region has developed in response to a systematic violation of posture.

What results should you expect?

The effect of physical therapy is individual for everyone. But many doctors note that thanks to regular exercises, some patients manage to pump up their back muscles so much that surgical intervention is no longer required to correct the problems. Forming a muscular frame allows you to literally stretch and straighten the spine, reduce the load on problem areas, reduce pain and achieve long-term remission.

In patients who regularly attend physical therapy classes, exacerbations of musculoskeletal diseases are becoming less and less common. In addition, the functioning of internal organs improves - exercises to open the thoracic spine remove vascular constrictions and restore the functions of the lungs, heart, and gastrointestinal tract. Many patients note that their headaches go away, insomnia disappears, they feel a surge of energy and, very importantly, their mood noticeably improves after each session.

Features of physical therapy for thoracic osteochondrosis

In order to do exercises at home, you do not need to purchase special expensive equipment. Improvement in well-being is already noted when a person begins to regularly perform exercises for half an hour a day. There are a lot of original programs and methods compiled by doctors, athletes and other people knowledgeable in this field.

Beneficial features

For osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, exercise therapy is prescribed to combat the main manifestations of the disease. A person usually experiences severe pain and cannot fully move. Therapeutic exercise is aimed at:

Returning ease of movement to a person and eliminating stiffness in the spinal column.
Relaxation of muscles that are constantly under tension and elimination of pain associated with this phenomenon.
Strengthening the back muscles, due to which part of the load from the bone structures will be transferred to the muscles.
Improving blood supply to tissues.
Elimination of the lack of ventilation of the lungs, which accompanies osteochondrosis.

In addition, exercises are needed to prevent dystrophic and degenerative processes in the structures of the musculoskeletal system.

Rules for therapeutic exercises

To ensure that gymnastics for thoracic osteochondrosis at home does not cause a deterioration in well-being and brings the desired result, you need to pay attention to how correctly you perform the exercises. General recommendations are:

you cannot move sharply, every movement must be slow and smooth;
training should begin with a warm-up and end with stretching the muscles of the sternum, which will eliminate pain for a long time;
do not do excessive exercises, intensity and loads should increase slowly and as far as possible;
breathe slowly and deeply, taking care of proper ventilation of the lungs;
do not do anything through pain - it will only make you feel worse;
Be attentive to your feelings - nausea, headaches, dizziness and other unpleasant phenomena indicate that you have overexerted yourself and need to slow down.

If it is difficult for you to do the exercises that the doctor has selected, try doing them gradually, with less amplitude and tension, and rest more. Gradually you will be able to make your workout more intense.