<strong>“Move Your Spine” (#MoveYourSpine)</strong> was announced as the theme of World Spine Day 16th October 2023. So I wanted to share some simple ideas for assessing and improving your spine mobility as a way of celebrating our efforts to improve spine mobility awareness, health and to contribute to reducing spine stiffness, discomfort and ultimately pain.
<h2>Did you know...?</h2>
<blockquote><em>An estimated one billion people suffer with spinal pain with 540 million people at any one time. Low back pain remains the leading cause of years lived with disability on the planet. Spinal pain and disability are more prevalent than cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s Disease combined. </em></blockquote>
*As always this comes with a caveat that anyone beginning a new movement programme should seek the guidance of their qualified local Biomechanics Coach or movement practitioner in advance and this is not the only solution for back pain.

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<h2>Spine Flexion &amp; Extension Tests</h2>
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During lockdown I noticed my own spinal mobility reduced considerably due to the increased hours I was spending at a desk for work while also having limited access to my usual movement programme. Although I didn't have back pain, I did experience the discomfort of spine stiffness which can be an indicator that I may be at risk of pain if I didn't change something soon. So I began to take myself through assessments and exercises to improve my spine health.

Firstly I started by filming/photographing some spine flexion &amp; extension positions that I was aiming to improve as part of my iMoveFreely flow movement routine. This meant I had my first and most relevant benchmarks for my spine health project. They were the positions in which I had noticed my lack of movement quality so had relevance.

Is there a position you feel is particularly limited? Maybe it's a squat or some other posture? Can you capture a benchmark image of this position to monitor your progress?<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />Next I wanted to assess how much of the limitations I was feeling were coming from my spine specifically.....

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So I assessed my spine flexion &amp; extension in a seated so more isolated way by capturing images of my spines curve in flexion and extension. This removed at least some of the 'cheat' mechanisms that can make my movement look better than it is. By fixing my lower body into this seated position it 'purifies' spine flexion and extension highlighting a more pure image of the movement I can do in this plane without other things 'getting in the way'....like tight nerves for example.

Can you capture an image of your spine curves while seated in 90 degrees of hip flexion, by placing your fists on top of thighs, aiming shoulders towards thighs?

Then an image of your natural ability to produce spine extension form the same position?

Notice do you feel pain? stiffness? do you flex and extend nicely with a C shaped curve? do your shoulders reach your thumbs easily?

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<h2>Spine Lateral Flexion &amp; QL Hinge Tests</h2>
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Next we can test our QL for 'hinges' along with symmetry in spine lateral flexion. If you can capture an image of the curve in your spinous processes do you see a smooth curve from between the PSIS? if not what do you see? do you notice a hinge point? how does it feel do perform this movement? is there asymmetry?<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />Can you spot any spinal hinges in my spine from a few years ago here in this image above? could the QL be in a subclinical spasm therefore producing a hinge rather than a smooth C shaped curve?<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />What do you think?

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<h2>Spine Thoracic Rotation Test</h2>
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Finally we can assess thoracic rotation...

Once again seated to limited movement at the pelvis, if we 'fix' the scapular position, to avoid scapular rotation giving us a false measurement of thoracic rotation, we can observe how far our can spine rotate in either direction. <br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />If we take into account typical thoracic joint ranges they total around 57 degrees in one direction from C7 to L1...Notice the spinal columns degrees of rotation...not using the elbow line since my elbows are drawn back to limit scapular rotation.<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />Do you have symmetry left to right...? Also how does it feel comparing one side to the other? any discomfort?<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />To measure rotation in degrees you could imagine you're sitting on top of a circle and taking the head with you in the movement...how many degrees of spine rotation do you think you can do comfortably without forcing movement? Is it more in one direction than the other?<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />45 deg? 50 deg? 55 deg?<br class="ac-designer-copy" />or<br class="ac-designer-copy" />Much less?

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<h2>Spine Mobility Exercises</h2>
To improve spine mobility based on your test results can be quite simple (*consult your local Biomechanics Coach or a qualified practitioner prior to starting any new exercise programme)

If you feel limited by spine flexion do more spine flexion...maybe 3 sets of 10-15

<img class="size-medium wp-image-36992 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_0073-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />

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If spine extension is the one you feel tension in so more spine extension by lying down for some pelvic tilts...also around 3 sets of 10-15...

<img class="size-medium wp-image-36993 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_0074-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />

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For lateral flexion use wall gliding ....one of my favourites...2 sets of 8 reps each side, leaning against a wall then 'gliding' the hips underneath the rib cage very slowly and through a very small range of motion to affect the QL muscle gently...<img class="size-medium wp-image-36999 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_9964-1-1-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />

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For rotation....guess what....yup you guessed it rotate more!!! Again 3 sets of 10-15....

<img class="size-medium wp-image-36996 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_0077-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-36995 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_0076-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /><img class="size-medium wp-image-36994 aligncenter" src="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/MG_0075-1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />

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So in celebration of World Spine Day who will join me in the <span class="ac-designer-copy">Spine Mobility Project?</span><br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />Due to current lifestyle trends many of us are experiencing more limitations in our spines natural movement which can initially start with stiffness and tightness like me but this could eventually result in other conditions, since the spine is designed to move!<br class="ac-designer-copy" /><br class="ac-designer-copy" />Why not try the Spine Mobility Project and share it with your clients, friends and colleagues to contribute to a world where spine health improves.....why not send us your results???

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<strong><em>Referenced</em></strong>

<i>World spine day</i> (no date) <i>World Spine Day</i>. Available at: http://www.worldspineday.org/ (Accessed: 06 October 2023).
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