Side Lying Thoracic Rotation
To increase thoracic spinal rotation to the left:
- The patient is side lying on their right side with both hips flexed below 90º.
- Have the patient place their left hand behind the head with their right arm straight out in front of them.
- Instruct the patient to rotate back to the left as far as they can then return to midline and repeat again 5 times.
- Then have them flex both hips to 90º and rotate back again 5 times.
- Finally, have the patient flex both hips above 90º and rotate back 5 times.
- As they flex their hips higher they move the focus of the rotation higher up their spine.
- They repeat the exercise 5 times in each position to the opposite side, with the hips flexed below, at and above 90º.