The Thoracic Spine is the part of your spine between your shoulder blades. It is the area of your spine where your ribs are attached. One of the main functions of your rib cage is to protect all of your vital organs, and because of this your thoracic spine needs to be stable and doesn’t have a lot of movement compared to your lower back and your neck. That is the reason why thoracic spine injuries are much less prevalent than lower back and neck issues.

BUT . . . Sitting at a desk all day with slumped posture (which most of us do!) causes our thoracic spine to hunch forwards, which in turn effects our ability to stand up straight when we run, which in turn effects your ability to breath freely. A stiff thoracic spine also has a knock-on effect on our shoulders and pelvis which effects the efficiency of our stride.

What does the Thoracic Spine do when we run?

The thoracic spine and associated muscles effectively act as a rotary counter-lever during running. They provide a stable platform for arm swing and pelvic movement while also producing elastic energy in the form of myofascial slings. It’s easy to imagine these as your muscles being a large set of rubber bands that run from your shoulder on one side, across your spine to the pelvis on the opposite side. As your shoulders rotate in the opposite direction to your pelvis, they store elastic energy, releasing this energy during toe-off to pull the pelvis and thigh through on one side. This makes our running more efficient.

Using a foam roller is an easy and effective way to reverse the effects of slumped sitting posture to help improve the flexibility and mobility of your thoracic spine.

Rather than sitting on the sofa in the evenings watching TV (more slumping), try to spend 5 -10 minutes most evenings lying on a foam roller.