Pain Occurring from Time to Time in the Thoracic Spine: A Sign of Osteochondrosis
The occasional pain in the thoracic spine is something familiar to everyone who engages in heavy physical labor. These painful, uncomfortable sensations often serve as the first sign that a rather unpleasant disease – osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine – is developing in the body. This condition is also common among people in so-called sedentary professions: designers, computer operators, and truck drivers.
However, it is not inevitable that you will develop osteochondrosis, even if you are constantly lifting heavy objects or forced to sit for long hours at a desk. A reliable barrier against this disease is proper posture. As you might already know, forming good posture should start early in life, but it is never too late – even in your 30s or 40s – to begin working on it. Indeed, better late than never!
How to Prevent Osteochondrosis of the Thoracic Spine:
While walking, try to keep your back straight and shoulders relaxed. If you also regularly perform exercises that develop and maintain the tone of the muscles in your back and abdomen, ensuring proper mobility of all segments of the thoracic spine, osteochondrosis will have little chance against you.
Recommended Exercises:
- Standing Stretch:
- Start by standing up straight, feet together, and arms at your sides.
- Take a deep breath and stretch your arms upwards.
- Exhale and arch your back while taking a deep inhale.
- Then lower your arms, bend forward, round your back, and drop your shoulders and head.
- Exhale deeply.
- Repeat 8–10 times.
- Backbend on Chair:
- Sit on a chair with your hands behind your head.
- Inhale deeply and arch your back as much as possible, leaning against the backrest of the chair.
- Perform this movement 3–5 times while exhaling.
- Cat-Cow Stretch:
- Start on all fours.
- Arch your back as much as possible and hold for 2–3 seconds.
- Keep your head aligned with your spine.
- Return to the starting position and repeat the stretch 5–7 times.
- Back Extension on Stomach:
- Lie on your stomach with your hands pressed against the floor.
- Push yourself upward, bending your spine as much as possible, trying to lift your torso off the floor.
- Thoracic Spine Stretch:
- Lie on your stomach, arms along your body.
- Arch your thoracic spine and try to lift both your head and legs upwards as much as possible.
Exercise Tips:
These exercises, which relieve tension in the thoracic spine, should be performed during short breaks throughout your day. For exercises 3 through 5, breathing is optional. Perform exercises 4 and 5 about 5–8 times each.
It’s highly beneficial to include these exercises in your morning routine. Doing a few movements after work is also very useful. The most important factor is consistency – performing this preventive exercise regimen daily will ensure that you effectively protect yourself from osteochondrosis.
By keeping up with a daily exercise routine that focuses on strengthening and stretching the back, you’ll significantly reduce the risk of developing this debilitating condition.
