Release the blockade

The release of a blockade can be done by different approaches. Often, once the acute protective tension of the muscles is reduced, the blockage is released completely by itself and the acute symptoms disappear. If this is not the case, the blockage can be released manually.

A distinction is made between mobilization techniques and manipulation techniques. Mobilization techniques can be performed in physiotherapy. Using various techniques, the therapist can mobilize the joint by applying gentle pressure and treat the surrounding soft tissue.

Through active or passive movement, the therapist tries to gently release the blockage. Manipulation techniques are impulsive techniques and correspond to the general idea of “settling”. The therapist sets an appropriate joint position and releases the blockage with an impulse. This requires further training in manual therapy or osteopathy. Manipulations should (officially) be performed by chiropractors and doctors.A basic anamnesis and preliminary examination, in which possible contraindications should be clarified, must be carried out in any case before any manipulation is performed.

Symptoms

Blockages in the thoracic spine are usually accompanied by acute pain symptoms and restricted movement. The affected joint may be sensitive to pressure. The adjacent muscles often tense up painfully.

The movement restriction is usually precisely definable. At a certain point during a movement, a movement stop often occurs accompanied by a shooting pain. If rib mobility is restricted, e.g. if a rib joint is involved, respiration-related pain or even shortness of breath are usually impressive. Pain along the course of the ribs, which wraps around the thorax like a belt, is often found in vertebral blockages that irritate the intercostal nerves exiting the thoracic spine.

Cause

The causes of a vertebral blockage in the thoracic spine can be manifold. An acute blockage often occurs as a result of jerky movements, acute overloading or a long-term incorrect posture. Dysbalances in our statics, such as an increased hunchback, scoliosis or flat back, can increase the occurrence of blockages.

In certain clinical pictures, such as Scheuermann’s disease, morphological changes in the vertebrae lead to blockages more frequently. Muscular instability and weak connective tissue also promote the occurrence of vertebral blockages. Our ribs also attach to the thoracic spine via the costal joints and can block and lead to sometimes severe, often respiration-dependent pain. In physiotherapy, on the one hand, an attempt is made to treat the pain symptomatically, on the other hand, causal therapy is also of great importance. In the case of recurring blockages, an attempt is made to find the cause of the blockage and to remedy it, for example, through targeted strength and posture training.