![]() For example, if your thoracic spine can not rotate well enough, your lumbar spine will be forced to rotate more to compensate. But if it is not, you will be susceptible to back injuries. And together, the thoracolumbar (thoracic and lumbar spine) can rotate approximately 45° in each direction.īecause of that, your ability to rotate in a safe manner is quite substantial, so long as your mobility is good. The thoracic spine demonstrates more rotation than the lumbar spine, which has about 10° of rotation to each side. If your thoracic spine has normal mobility, it should have 30-35° degrees of total rotation to each side, with each vertebrae capable of approximately 3°. ROTATION, FLEXION/EXTENSION, LATERAL FLEXION ![]() In terms of movement, the thoracic spine has the capability of rotation, flexion & extension, and lateral flexion. It is an integral component of a strong, healthy body. It also functions to hold the rib cage in place, which protects many vital organs, including the heart and lungs.įrom maintaining good posture to keeping the body stable when using your upper extremities, the thoracic spine is used in much of our daily life. ![]() The thoracic spine stabilizes and keeps the body upright. The movement characteristics of these last few vertebrae of the thoracic spine are also similar to the lumbar spine. From there, T10-T12 get thicker, resembling that of the lumbar spine. At the 9th vertebrae (T9) the spine begins to thicken. T1 resembles a cervical vertebra (the spine of the neck), and it has similar movement capabilities as well. While vertebra 2 through 9 have the same characteristics, vertebrae 1 (T1) and 10-12 (T10-T12) are different. Now, the vertebrae of thoracic spine vary in characteristics. They function as the place of attachment for muscles and ligaments of the spine and they are the point of articulation for the ribs to the thoracic spine. The transverse processes are small bony projections off the sides of each vertebrae. In the thorax, each rib articulates with the vertebra, both at the vertebral bodies and transverse processes. All together, this forms the thorax (chest portion of the trunk of a body). The ribs are attached posteriorly to the 12 thoracic vertebrae, with most being anchored anteriorly, either indirectly or directly, to the sternum. Then you have the thoracic cage, which is formed by the 12 pairs of ribs with their costal cartilages and the sternum. It is T1-T12.Ī Deeper Understanding of the Thoracic Region ![]() The thoracic spine (aka T-Spine) makes up 12 of the 33 vertebrae in the spinal column. The thoracic spine refers to the area of spinal column that runs from below the cervical neck (C7 neck), which is roughly shoulder level, down to the first level of the low back (L1, lumbar spine). In this post, we are going to discuss everything you need to know about thoracic spine mobility and then we are going to show you 8 of our favorite thoracic spine dynamic stretches that will help you improve your mobility and overall performance. It will help you in all areas of your life, especially if you workout and play sports. The importance of having normal thoracic spine mobility is not to be overlooked. In fact, it is a vital area of the body for literally every human on Earth. Maintaining and improving thoracic spine mobility is one of the most important things we can do as both athletes and fitness enthusiasts. ![]()
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