Kyphosis and Shoulder Range of Motion

Question:  Bill, What mobility activities do you use for lower level patients/athletes with increased kyphosis and limited glenohumeral ROM?

Answer:  If you come into my clinic on any particular day, you’ll see my shoulder patients doing many of the exercises from the Inside-Out DVD.  There’s certainly a reason we put those exercises in the program, and it’s simply because they’re effective in most cases.

Thoracic spine mobilizations with a foam roller and combined thoracic extension and rotation can be done with just about any shoulder patient.  Even in the early stages of rehab, the painful shoulder can be protected while important gains in thoracic spine mobility that will improve shoulder function are made.

I also like to use the active shoulder range of motion and scapular mobility exercises from Inside-Out.  The exception is when there may be a limitation in range of motion that requires a time dependent change in the tissues.  In this case, various stretching methods will be implemented.  The more common areas in athletes that require stretching are the posterior and inferior capsule.

In cases where muscle stiffness is the limitation, traditional, 30-second static stretches, and PNF stretching works quite well.  In cases of tissue shortening, longer duration methods such as low load passive tension stretches for up to 20 minutes or eccentric quasi-isometrics may be in order.

Bill