The thoracic spine is integral to almost everything we treat in the orthopedic world of physical therapy. It is the connection between the upper and lower quadrants of the body. If a patient is having complaints of shoulder pain we look at the thoracic spine. Headaches? Look at the thoracic spine. Hip pain? Look at the thoracic spine. Low back pain? Look at the thoracic spine. And don't forget actual pathology of the thoracic spine and ribs would cause us to look there as well. As you can see, we are always looking at the thoracic spine.
Within our Thoracic Spine course, we cover the differential diagnosis, examination, and treatment of the thoracic spine. We look at mechanical and systemic causes of thoracic pain, and discuss how the thoracic spine can lead to dysfunction in not only the thoracic spine but adjacent areas as well.