Thoracic Spine and Rib Problems

The thoracic spine encompasses most of your upper back areas and although it is the most stable part of the spine, partly due to the ribcage it too can cause pain and dysfunction. It is also very important in determining your posture and a key contributor to either neck or low back pain.

Problems with the thorax (the ribs and thoracic spine) often result from trauma or faulty posture. Poor alignment of the ribs will directly affect how the ribcage and thoracic spine move as a unit and consequently how it is controlled. Due to the many muscle attachments from the ribs to the neck, shoulder blade, lumbar spine and pelvis this may manifest in a number of different presentations. Most commonly people report pain and tension between their shoulder blades and difficulty with deep breathing (in the case of trauma or rib subluxations). Quite often acute neck pain or locking may be the result of a specific rib problem.

Our therapists have specific training for treating rib related problems having completed a specialized training course on Rib & Thoracic Spine Dysfunction with internationally renowned Canadian physiotherapist LJ Lee & her Thoracic Ring Approach and the Connect Therapy approach that looks at the connectedness of different regions and systems in the body.

This approach is in keeping with our integrated approach of Spinal Synergy were areas of the spine that initially may appear not to be involved or are not even causing distinct pain are in fact contributing to imbalances and dysfunction elsewhere that does lead to pain and dysfunction.