Date: Tue, 6 Dec 1994 12:17:40 -0800 From: Joy Linn Subject: Re: Middle back exercises ( To: Multiple recipients of list SOREHAND Do to the number of requests for these exercises I have decided to post them to the list. I find them helpful because they are easy to do and not very time consuming - consequently I'm more likely to do them. Currently I only do a few of them, not all. Joy These exercises help keep my shoulders from getting too tight, which seems to help my hands a lot. I also stretch my shoulders using a door jam. Placing the forearm in a vertical position going up the door jam, with shoulders about halfway up the forearm (to aid in forearm placement). Then using the dooram for resistance, try and push my upperbody through the door. It does miracles for tight shoulders, especially in the front and back muscles, not for the neck/shoulder muscles. A variation of this can be done sitting at the computer. Just put elbows up at shoulder height with forearms pointing straight up and push the elbows back, keeping forearms pointing straight up. Gives a little stretch while in the middle of working. I do this every 15 minutes when my "pundit" pops up! Makes a huge difference for me! The new exercises I have are from a massage therapist. She gave us a long stretch of tubing (large surgical type, somewhat elastic). Put it through the door hinge and, while facing the door, grab each end with one hand (on opposite sides of the door). Pull with your hands until they are shoulder height and about even with your shoulders. I can feel it in my chest and middle back muscles. I hold the door still with one foot slightly forward. I also sometimes lean my body back to help apply force. It feels good actually. Do until feel fatigue (10 or so depending on your strength). Then gradually build up. For me, it helps keep things limber and strengthens too. I also have thoracic extensors - bilateral corrective exercises. (also uses a piece of surgical tubing). From the text: It is an excellent exercise for reducing a hyperkyphotic curvature. 1. Patient is seated, holding the looped end of a length of surgical tube (about 6 ft in length). (Other end is attached somewhere near the floor). 2. From a forward bent position (bent to a point just prior to lumbar flexion) and with tenstion on the tube, the patient uses the spinal erectors to pull himself to an upright position. Arms must be kept straight. **Special note - try to get the patient to visualize an "uncurling" of his pspine, one vertebra at a time. This will help the patient to perfect the movement and will make them finish the excercise with the spine in the correct position. Exercise #2 Helpful in correcting a bilateral forward shoulder condition as well as a hyuperlordotic condition. Doesn't require any equipment. In addition to strengthing the weak tissues in these conditions, it is an excellent method of making the patient aare of what their posture should look and feel like. 1. Patient begins in the standing position with the chin down, arms at sides, hands in fists, and thumbs pointing inward. 2. Patient simulataneously extends the head and shoulders while rotating the arms laterally. The patient should concentrate on pinshing his shoulder blades together whiel moving from step 1 to step 2. Excerise 3 The 3rd exercise strangthens the lower trapezius muscles unilaterally but should be performed on both sides for patients suffereing from hyperkyphosis. 1. Patient stands in an erect positure with one hand grasping a piece of surgical tubing. 2. Patient abducts his arm to 135 degrees (lifts towards head) 3. From this position the patient moves into 60 degrees up horizontal abduction (pulls arm up towards head) 4. With tension in the tube, the patient pulls his arm to an upright position. | / | | / |/ |/ |/ Step 3 - arm up step 4 - arm almost straight up My therapist told me not to use the tubing initially because this is a strenuous exercise. Hope these help. Let me know if you have questions and I'll try to answer them. I don't know what hyperkyphosis is. I know that I have troubles with weak middle back muscles, especially along the spine and tight shoulders. These seem to help both situations. Joy linnj@ucs.orst.edu ********************************************************************* Recently seen sig: "The human race is still in beta testing" Now wouldn't this explain a lot?