Wall Press Self-Mobilizing Exercise

To Self-Mobilize ERS Dysfunctions in the Upper TS:

• The patient is standing approximately three feet from a wall and places their hands on the wall at shoulder height.
• Instruct the patient to drop their head down and push their arms against the wall fully extending their elbows and rounding their upper back. They should feel a stretch in their upper back.
• Make sure that the apex of spinal flexion occurs in the upper and not the middle or lower back when they extend their arms.
• Instruct the patient to rotate their head to the R to stretch L sided ERS dysfunctions or rotate their head to the L to stretch R sided ERS dysfunctions as they extend their arms fully.
• Ask the patient to hold for 5-10 seconds.
• Then have the patient stand up straight and lean into the wall maintaining a neutral low back. Ask the patient to try to touch the wall with their forehead.
• The shoulder blades should draw close together as they drop into the wall.
• Instruct the patient to hold this position for 5-10 seconds and repeat the entire exercise 3-5 times.