Upper Back Bliss: DIY Self-Mobilization for Your Thoracic Spine
Double Tennis Ball for Thoracic Spine Mobilization (thoracic spine = (mid-back)
Precautions: do not perform this activity if you have osteoporosis, fracture, instability in your spine, etc.
If any level is too sensitive and you cannot relax with the balls underneath you then make sure to pad it as described below and if it is still too sensitive, then you're not ready for these and you would want to perform mobilization against the wall which is one of the newsletters I wrote - check out double tennis ball mobilization for back and hips on my blog from April 3, 2024.
Imagine transforming two humble tennis balls into your new best friends for spinal health. By taping them together, you create a nifty tool that fits perfectly along the grooves of your spine, delivering targeted pressure and gentle mobilization to those hard-to-reach thoracic (mid-back) joints. Picture this: you lay down and move on these “double trouble” balls up your back. It's like having your own portable therapist, easing tension and restoring mobility without breaking the bank. This DIY marvel helps relieve stiffness, improve posture, and enhance flexibility, making your spine feel more agile and less like the Tin Man's. So, grab some tennis balls, a roll of athletic tape, and give your back the TLC it deserves – your spine will thank you with every delightful crack, pop and ahhhh!
So here’s the trick:
Find or create a padded place on the floor (MAKE SURE IT IS A PLACE YOU CAN HAVE ASSISTANCE GETTING BACK UP!!). A THICK yoga mat (like ½” or better) or a foam camping mat works very well. Your bed is usually too soft for this helpful DIY. It is common and “normal” to feel some tenderness in the tissues in contact with the tennis balls. But if the pressure of the tennis balls is too much for you to be able to relax onto them, pad them with a folded towel (the larger the towel, the more padding it will provide and elicit less tenderness in those sensitive muscles) placed over the top of the double tennis balls. If it's still too much pressure, you can pad both under the tennis ball tool and laid on the top of the tennis balls and that will usually do the trick. If it does not, you can use more than one towel or more than one thick mat placed on top of the tennis ball tool.
Take the two-tennis-balls-taped-together tool and place them underneath you as you lie face up with your knees bent up. The balls should lie on either side of your spinous processes, the “pokey outy” parts of your vertebrae that you can feel along your spine.
Start at the level at the bottom of your rib cage, if you're having trouble finding out where that is, place your thumbs on the bottom of your ribs on your sides, and then with your index fingers slide to where you can feel your spinous processes. This is where the balls should be to start.
Then, with the balls underneath you, you should try three different movements for one or two repetitions: 1. a bridging movement-lifting your pelvis up in the air and back down, 2.a knees side-to-side movement, and 3. rotation of your pelvis just lifting up one side of your pelvis and then the other. whichever one feels like it will create the most movement to mobilize or loosen up your joints at this level. The movement that works the best will change as you progress up your spine.
If these movements are too much to tolerate, try just pointing and flexing your toes with your legs out straight instead of bent up.
Perform 10 to 20 repetitions of whichever of the three exercises feels that it mobilizes the best then wiggle down just a smidge on the tennis balls so that they effectively move up your spine to the next level / vertebra.
Repeat at this level then wiggle down another smidge to the next vertebra and perform 10 to 20 repetitions there. Go with what you're feeling as far as choosing how many repetitions. if it feels particularly good or like you need it at one level, spend more time there. The longer you spend the better mobilization you will receive but you may be sore the next day, not painful but just treatment soreness like it will feel sensitive when you sit against something sort of like a bruise or a tender spot.
Once you have reached the midsection of your thoracic spine You may find that the bridges or the knees side to side or the rotation of your pelvis isn't enough pressure to get good mobilization. in that case try crossing your arms over your chest and rotating, lifting one shoulder up and pointing it towards the ceiling and then the other shoulder up and pointing that one towards the ceiling . or you can try reaches. reach with your hands pointed towards the ceiling lifting your shoulder off the ground and bringing your hand closer to the ceiling and then back down then alternating to the other side reaching up towards the ceiling more and perform 10 to 20 repetitions of that. You can also try a combination of the bridge and rotating your shoulders. Once you have moved up the mid-thoracic vertebral levels and you have the double tennis balls in the upper third of your thoracic spine, you will definitely want to try this one or just the bridges alone. Bridges pack a lot of punch in this upper third of your mid back!
If any level feels particularly like it needs more repetitions, definitely spend more time there. it is likely that you are just more stiff in those segments of your spine and they need or mobility. and this is a great way to get it!