To have a strong, pain free overhead position, the shoulder girdle and the upper back (also known as the thoracic spine) need to have a healthy relationship. This article will focus on the thoracic spine. This is a commonly neglected area and can offer some serious value to workouts involving overhead positioning! Thoracic spine mobility is crucial to overhead lifting and mobility, and is also one of the more commonly restricted areas the kinetic chain (especially as we get older).
Short recap
So, by now you may have seen the Overhead Mobility Program that accompanies this article series (I’m excited to hear more about how the program has impacted your training!).
To help get you up-to-date:
• Part 1 of the Overhead Mobility Fix series, introduced this topic and gave a very brief outline of common factors limiting overhead mobility and performance.
• Part 2 of the Overhead Mobility Fix series, presented the new Overhead Mobility Program, discussing the program’s design and structure.
In this latest instalment, I’ll be focussing on thoracic spine mobility and how this often-neglected area can be a missing link in overhead mobility programs.
A quick intro to the thoracic spine
The thoracic spine consists of 12 vertebrae, which provide an anchor for the rib-cage. The rib-cage provides a surrounding structure to protect our vital organs. As a result, the thoracic spine is built more for stability than the other sections of the spine, i.e. the lumbar spine (lower back) and cervical spine (neck). Although built more for stability, its mobility is an important yet often neglected contributor to overhead mobility.
The 12 vertebrae of the thoracic spine are distinct in shape and function from vertebrae found in other regions. In particular, the thoracic spine has a natural rounding/curve, opposite to that seen in the lumbar (lower back) and cervical (neck) sections. It’s important to remember that this rounding in the thoracic spine is normal, supporting movement of the shoulder blade over the rib-cage. That being said, stiffness or excessive rounding in the upper back, or poor trunk control can impact movement and therefore overhead mobility.
How does the thoracic spine impact overhead function?
Everyone is different, so it’s difficult to give exact figures for ‘normal’ range of motion. Some research indicates as much as 9-15 degrees of thoracic spine extension during overhead positions. This really hits home that problems in thoracic spine mobility can greatly affect shoulder function and overhead capability!
As an example, decreased thoracic mobility can make it harder to get under the bar. In order to find a stable overhead position, this reduced mobility requires us to have a wider grip on the bar to compensate. This wider grip then impacts transfer of force from the lower limbs, meaning that we are sacrificing efficiency due to our restricted mobility! In addition, reduced ability to extend at the thoracic spine (and open the chest) pushes the bar forward, requiring increased strength and stability to maintain an overhead position.
It’s also important to note, thoracic mobility isn’t just about extension. Ideally, we want the thoracic spine to possess movement and control in all its potential movement directions (flexion, extension and rotation). For example, thoracic rotation is important when performing single-arm overhead exercises!
What about injury prevention?
Although limited evidence exists with respect to injury prevention, one particular study for handball players (including thoracic mobility exercises) resulted in a 24% reduction in upper limb injures, with a 12% reduction in serious injuries. So not only can increased thoracic mobility support improved performance, it also has the potential to reduce injuries.
Some other important points
As previously mentioned, the thoracic spine should have a natural curve… often we focus too much on keeping ‘good posture’, when in reality we need more movement variation. In addition, resting posture doesn’t give us the best representation of function. We need to also look at movement (particularly under load) to better understand our movement patterns.
These days we spend a significant time in a rounded (flexed) position. Although this doesn’t necessarily correlate with increased prevalence of pain, it can limit our ability to get overhead. Limited range means we need to compensate. This either means we end up placing excessive stress through the shoulder (often dumping forward) or losing trunk control and arching through our lower back. Neither of these options are ideal, and excessive loading over time can result in pain or injury.
Breath – A secret weapon?
I’d like to highlight one key area, that I feel everyone should incorporate into their thoracic mobility work. Your breath can play a major role in overhead positioning. As an example, try performing the quick mobility check-up from Part 1 of the Overhead Mobility Fix series. You can do this in two parts:
- Take a deep breath out, then raise your arms as far overhead as possible
- Take a deep breath in, really filling your lungs, then raise your arms overhead
Did you notice a difference? Fully inflating (and deflating) your lungs is like stretching you from the inside out! We perform hundreds and hundreds of ‘repetitions’ every day and it can play a huge role on overhead mobility. Incorporating breath with thoracic mobility work can help create a better relationship with the upper back and scapula. Increased breath awareness and control can also provide a number of other secondary benefits!
Summary
The Overhead Mobility Program provides some great exercises for improving thoracic spine mobility and control (and is one of the 5 key areas covered in the program). So what are you waiting for? Sign-up to the program today (offer?) and start learning some new techniques to improve your overhead positioning.
References
Heneghan, N. R., Webb, K., Mahoney, T., & Rushton, A. (2019). Thoracic spine mobility, an essential link in upper limb kinetic chains in athletes: A systematic review. Translational Sports Medicine.
