This is my favorite 'go to' exercise for a great number of the patients in my clinic. Patients with the following conditions have a tendency to have decreased thoracic spine extension or rotation:
- Herniated cervical spine discs
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Frozen shoulder
- Herniated lumbar spine discs
- Headaches
- Sciatica
- Hip impingement
- Meniscus tears
- and more
When there is decreased flexibility in the upper torso due to too much sitting or poor posture, there will be excessive and destructive movement in the neck, shoulders and lower back. This adds a great deal of stress to the areas and opens the door to injuries. To deal with this I like starting off my patients with this pilates and physiotherapy exercise:
Pointers:
- Keep your top knee at 90 degrees in front of your body
- Press the top knee into the floor at all times throughout the movement, under no circumstances can you allow your knee to raise of the floor at all!
- Be sure to turn your head and eyes to look where you're turning
- Don't let yourself hold your breathe
- Give this one a few days, most people don't get it at first