Side Lying Rib Cage Self-Mobs

Self mobs to restore thoracic rotation to the left:

  • The patient is lying on their right side with the hips flexed to between 45-60º with their left hand placed underneath the lower right side of the rib cage.
  • Instruct the patient to roll back to the left and with your left hand pull the right lower rib cage into left rotation. They repeat 3-4 times moving their hand slightly superior with each rotation.
  • Moving up to the xiphoid process have the patient place the fingertips of their left hand on the left side of the rib cage, just off the sternum and lateral to the xiphoid process.
  • Instruct the patient to rotate back to the left and use their left hand to pull the ribs back towards the floor.
  • After the patient returns to the midline they move their fingers up to the next rib and they repeat the rotation drawing the next rib back to the floor.
  • The patient should always start from below, approximately the 7th or 8th rib, and work their way up until they reach the collarbone.
  • The patient is instructed to rotate back approximately 7 times moving their hand up approximately 1 inch each time to draw back a new rib. To enhance the stretch, the patient takes a deep breath in, then exhales as they draw the rib back further.
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