Spinal Videos

Neck Posture

Is neck pain bothering you? Are you sitting at a desk for long periods of time and can feel it straining on your neck and shoulders? In this video we discuss the muscles that are often found to be a problem in improper posture, how your breathing relates to posture, and a device you can use to remind you to always think about your posture.

Neck Strengthening for Posture

Now we review a couple strengthening exercises (chin tucks, banded head retraction, and standing rows) for muscles that are often weak in the neck.

Neck Flexibility and Mobility

Most of us have poor flexibility and mobility in the neck due to chronically tight muscles. This video looks at exercises to increase neck extension, stretches for the upper traps, scalenes, SCM, and pec minor, as well as how to use a lacrosse ball on the base of the neck (suboccipitals) and the upper traps.

Shoulder and T-Spine Mobility

In this video we look at a variety of exercises that can be done as part of a warm-up before strength training, or to increase overall mobility of the shoulder and t-spine, especially when recovering from an injury. We cover the following exercises: t-spine extensions, side bends for t-spine, alligator opener, snow angels, shoulder circumduction, isometric internal and external rotation of shoulder, wall slides with scapula setting, and threading the needle.

Posture & Spinal Neutral

This video discusses the most common types of postures and how to find a spinal neutral, which is the ideal position for our spine to be in.

Lumbar Spine Mobility

Here we look at a few exercises for lumbar mobility as well as t-spine and hip mobility because we must target the joint above and below also! The exercises we review include spinal CARS in flexion, extension, and side bending, Mackenzie protocol extensions, t-spine extensions on the roller, how to find pelvic neutral on an exercise ball, windshield wipers, and multiplane lunges.

Lumbar Spine Flexibility

In this video we look at trigger pointing the QL's and TFL, child's pose stretch for QL, PNF stretch for the erectors, hip flexor stretch, rectus femoris stretch, two different ways to stretch the hamstrings and the adductors, and some different variations of a piriformis stretch.

Level 1 Strengthening for the Lumbar Spine

In the first level of strengthening for the lumbar spine we discuss how to engage the transverse abdominus and multifidus, the proper way to do a crunch and side crunch, back extensions, side plank and regular plank (modified), reverse crunches, and bent knee windshield wipers.

Level 2 Strengthening for the Lumbar Spine

In the second level of strengthening for the lumbar spine we progress the windshield wipers to straight leg, towel slide outs for core strength, full side plank with thread the needle, weighted, or with a band, reverse crunches with a band, kneeling crunches, TA and multifidus activation on a roller with opposite leg and arm extension (and a progression with bands,) deadbug with an exercise ball, crunches with a band or weight, back extensions with weight, and dolphin kicks on an exercise ball.

Spinal Flexion Self-Assessment and Exercises

Back pain bugging you? This video goes through a quick way to do your own spinal flexion self-assessment, and some exercises to help improve limited spinal flexion. We discuss self release of the spinal muscles, scapula pushups, cat portion of cat & cow, hip hinge, and hamstring stretching.

Spinal Extension Self-Assessment and Exercises

Many of us have limited spinal extension. This video goes through a quick way to do your own spinal extension self-assessment, and some exercises to help improve limited spinal extension. We discuss side bends and back extensions over a foam roller, book openers, cat & cow, cobra, and hamstring stretching.