Diagnostics Thoracic Spine Prone

Have the person lie in prone position with one arm alongside the body and the other near the head, rotated towards the opposite side. Lift the leg on the same side as the arm alongside the body. Lifting the leg causes extension in both the Lumbar and Thoracic Spine. By providing unilateral compression at the location of the transverse processes and costo-transverse transitions, a rotational component is executed. The end feel is of great importance. Manual compression can also induce lateral flexion, where the end feel is also crucial.

It is important to realize that an added rotation does not necessarily correspond to the given extension. That part of the spine may even prefer flexion over extension. Therefore, perform the various movement directions gently and subtly with a lot of attention to the end feel, and compare left and right accurately. Ensure that arm positions and head position are adjusted to better assess the overall movement chains.