Searching for the Thoracic Spine III

We all love pictures...so here are a few examples of the t-spine in action. Obviously, t-spine mobility is critical for sparing other structures during high velocity rotational movements like throwing and swinging. However, I added the last picture (because it was awesome) as a reminder that dynamic stability of the t-spine is critical for movements such as sprinting and long distance running. There's a fair amount of rotation that occurs during these movements as well and for the core to remain stable (eeek how sick are you of hearing that?) and elastic, the t-spine must be able to move. The t-spine is also a base to which the ribs attach and inside the ribcage are some pretty important items that need room to work.
My friend Carson Boddicker (www.boddickerperformance.com) has written some fantastic articles on training endurance athletes, one of which he dissects, in serious detail, training the ribcage for function - check it out.