Name: Open Books - Active Chest Stretch and Spine Mobilization
Uploaded: 2023-04-26T01:01:42.000Z
Duration: 4 min 12 s

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https://stream.mux.com/801oZvhGLqHkP5PHb00vD9IyjFh6i901Anhy02fVjCIGZWg.m3u8

Learn how to properly perform the open books active chest stretch and spine mobilization in this comprehensive step-by-step instructional video from the Brookbush Institute. This evidence-based video provides expert coaching on setup, positioning, alignment, and exercise modifications to improve anterior shoulder flexibility and thoracic spine mobility. Enhance thoracic rotation and shoulder range of motion while supporting optimal scapular mechanics and postural alignment with this targeted mobility exercise. Perfect for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and rehabilitation clients seeking to reduce shoulder and chest tightness, improve mobility, and restore optimal movement mechanics while reducing injury risk.

Introduction to Active Stretching Techniques

Demonstrating the Active Chest Stretch

Importance of Using Foam Roll for Optimal Stretching

Progressions and Modifications for the Stretch

Review and Key Takeaways on Upper Body Dysfunction Stretches

Open Books - Active Chest Stretch and Spine Mobilization

This is Brent Brookbush, President of B2C and we're talking about our progressions from our static stretching techniques,  which are our active stretching techniques. I think you're going to really appreciate this technique. It's a combined technique, works wonderfully for active chest stretch, works great for  active pec minor stretch, works great for spinal mobilization all the way down to the SI joint, and in some individuals who are really tight you may even get an active piriformis stretch. I'm going to have Vinnie come out and help me demonstrate this. We start with just a foam roll or even a half foam roll, or a medicine ball, something about this height, you'll see why the height is important. I'm going to have him set up side-lying behind this foam roll. We're going to use this foam roll for his knee. So Vinnie's going to bring his knee up to 90 degrees of hip flexion, he's going to put his foot just above his knee with this leg straight, his spine and this back leg are lined up nice. Now, what we're going to do is go ahead and put one hand behind his head, he's going to use this hand on his knee, he's going to go ahead and grab his biceps femoris tendon. So this hand is really pulling this way. One thing I don't really want you guys to do is push down on this knee, because that can cause a lot of torque in the spine, you'll see what I'm talking about when we start this technique. He's just kind of using it to guard to make sure it stays on this foam roll, and he's using his active strength, his leg strength to push down into it a little bit. What Vinnie is going to first start out doing is try to put his elbow on floor. At this point this becomes an incredible, active, posterior capsule stretch. I'm sure Vinnie can feel that. He's going to hold that for 2. Then he's going to go ahead and open up all of the way, keeping that hand on the back of his head, and then as he rotates he'll feel this all the way through his thoracic spine, he'll feel this through his SI joint, through his piriformus, and of course, as he comes close to the floor this becomes and incredible pec minor stretch. He's going to hold that for 2, and then come back. Now, I'm just kind of going back to this foam roll, I've seen people try to attempt this on the floor. If we added up optimal extensibility of the hip, optimal extensibility of spinal rotation, optimal extensibility of scapular retraction and horizontal abduction and external rotation of the shoulder, all of those combined still wouldn't get us to the point of the knee on the floor  and the elbow on the floor.  So I don't want people going for  hypermobility. Hypermobility, too much flexibility, is just as dangerous as being tight. So please use a foam roll or a half foam roll because that will get us to a point of good extensibility at all joints. We can make a couple little modifications to this to progress the exercise. This is really, really hard unto itself. A regression might be to let them go ahead and extend their hand into a chest stretch, and then go ahead and as you roll back, just reach forward with your hand. Of course increasing that lever length means he doesn't have to rotate as far. I have even gone as far, to combine a little more into the stretch, have people go into half a wall angel, that serratus anterior activation, so they turn this way, put their forearm against the floor, and then reach up into a shoulder press like motion. This is a great stretch for anybody with upper body dysfunction. It ends up being a pretty good stretch for anybody with lumbo pelvic hip complex dysfunction, and because there is some SI joint dysfunction in lower leg, we can even use it for that. Of course our base technique, just kind of going back to review, is hand behind the head, we're going to go forward, touch the elbow down and then keep this position opening up. Make sure we have upward rotation in the scapula, and retraction, getting a good pec minor stretch and lots of spinal rotation. Thank you.

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Self-administered Spine Mobilization: Rotation (Open Books):

Flex the hip of the top leg to roughly 90°, and place the knee of the top leg on a foam roll, bolster, pillow, etc.

The knee of the top leg should be approximately the same height as the top hip.

Place the hand of the bottom arm over the top knee. Use this hand to maintain the desired amount of knee flexion, and aid in maintaining contact between the knee and the foam roll.

Adjust the bottom leg so that it is in line with the torso, approximately neutral (0° of hip flexion/extension, knee extended, ankle neutral).

Place the hand of the top arm behind your head, lightly palming your occiput (the base of your skull).

Keeping your knee on the foam roll, gently rotate your torso, and abduct your arm with the intent of laying your torso and arm flat on the floor (full ROM). It is likely that full ROM will not be achieved during initial attempts; however, practice should result in significant improvement over a couple of weeks.

Hold this end range position for 2 - 5 seconds

Slowly return to the starting position, placing the elbow of the top arm on the floor in front of you, and hold this position for 2 - 5 seconds.

Repeat on other side if indicated by assessment.

Note: The foam roll, bolster, etc. under the knee is a crucial part of this technique. Laying the knee on the floor and trying to achieve torso and arm flat on the floor would require hyper-mobility. Hypermobility is at least as problematic as hypomobility.

Note: Licensed professionals may target a specific segment by adjusting the amount of top leg hip flexion, posterior pelvic tilt, and lumbar flexion from caudal to cranial, similar to the technique used during a lumbar manipulation.

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