Thoracic Spine Dysfunction (aka Thoracic Ring Dysfunction)

The thoracic spine is in the middle of the spine between the neck and low back. Often, when there is dysfunction in this part of the body, it impacts other areas resulting in pain in another part - for example the shoulder or the pelvis. Often the thoracic area itself has more stiffness than pain.

However, because the thorax is such an essential part of our body - and is involved in many of our regular daily movements, from walking to using a computer, it can often be one of the driving forces behind ongoing persistent pain and stiffness.

It is common to have problems with this part of your body following car accidents (due to the forces through the spine and the position of the seatbelt) and during or after pregnancy (as the baby changes your abdominal muscle function and puts pressure on the ribcage).

We are skilled in the assessment of the whole body, and as such can often identify the contribution of the thorax to your problem, if it is present. Once identified, you can learn to release this area to decrease pain and compensatory problems, and learn to restore normal control again.