By Dr Tony Setiobudi BMedSci, MBBS, MRCS, MMed (Ortho), FRCS (Ortho)
The thoracic spine is used very frequently. The thoracic spine is built for rotation, flexion, and extension, the thoracic spine is hard at work. As a result of this continuous use, injuries are bound to occur from time to time. If you are not moving enough, it has the potential for loss of mobility.
So what can we do to prevent such injuries and ensure the mobility of our thoracic spine? Let’s do some mobility exercises you can use to keep your thoracic spine healthy.
Thoracic Spine Mobility
Ensuring the thoracic spine is free of injury and prepared for movement comes from spending time each day performing mobility exercises.
The benefits of stretching the thoracic spine are varied:
- To keep the core and midback musculature strong and flexible
- It helps in improving and maintaining balance
- Helps prevent injury during flexion
- Improve range of extension and rotation type movements
Dr Tony Setiobudi is an Orthopaedic & Spine Surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital (Orchard), Singapore. He treats bone, joint, muscle and ligament problems in adults and children. He has a special interest in nerve compression and spine problems such as back & neck pain, scoliosis, kyphosis, spine tumor & infection, spinal cord injury, osteoporosis fracture, spinal stenosis and slipped disc.