The Missing Link in Shoulder & Neck Pain: Your Thoracic Spine
When most people have tightness in their shoulders or nagging neck pain, they stretch their upper traps, roll their shoulders, or get a massage. While that can feel good, it often misses the real problem: a stiff thoracic spine.
First off, here is WHY the thoracic spine matters:
The thoracic spine is the middle section of your back (the 12 vertebrae between your neck and lower back). It’s designed to perform rotation, flexion/extension, and side-bending movements. Unfortunately, thanks to prolonged sitting, using our phones, and doing computer work, most of us are locked in a rounded-forward posture and lose mobility in the thoracic spine.
When the thoracic spine doesn’t move well, your body has to compensate and rely on motion from the joints above (neck) and below (shoulders or low back). These compensatory patterns can show up as neck tightness & headaches, shoulder impingement syndrome (shoulder pain), or “overworked” (tight) upper trap muscles. A stiff thoracic spine limits overhead reach and rotation, which increases the demands on the rotator cuff and upper traps.
In simpler words: if the mid-back doesn’t move, your neck and shoulders will take the hit.
What You Can Do
The good news? Your thoracic spine loves movement and it responds quickly when you train it. Here are 3 simple “reset” exercises for mobility & 1 strengthening exercise to target your lower traps.
Open Books (thoracic rotation): Lie on your side, knees bent. Reach one arm across your chest and rotate open. Breathe deeply as your chest opens.
Foam Roller Extensions (thoracic extension): Place a roller under your mid-back, support your head, and gently arch backward over the roller.
Quadruped T-Spine Rotations: On all fours, hand behind head, rotate your elbow toward the ceiling, then back down. Bonus: try this with an adductor stretch (one foot stretched out to the side).
Wall “Angels”: stand against a wall, start with a posterior pelvic tilt, then bring your arms into a mini “snow angel” movement, squeezing your shoulder blades together during the motion. You should feel this in the middle of your back. Bonus: try this sitting for an extra challenge!
Even 5 minutes of these a day can help to promote motion and take some added stress away from your neck or shoulders.
The Takeaway
If your shoulders feel tight or your traps are constantly sore, don’t just chase the symptoms. Look a little lower - your thoracic spine might be the missing link. Give it the movement it needs.
