Saturday Night Fever**

Saturday Night Fever:- Start Position

Sit facing the back of a kitchen chair.
Pelvic neutral, Long Back, Scapulas anchored.

Saturday Night Fever:- Action

Zip and hollow, and breathe in.
(Breathing out): Point up at the sky with your left hand, and stretch your left elbow up toward the sky as hard as you can! At the same time, let your right shoulder drift downward!
Breathe in and hold the stretch for 3 seconds.
(Breathing out and still pointing at the sky): Relax your left elbow down so that the shoulders are level.
Repeat three to five times.
Repeat for your right hand.

Comments

This exercise is called Saturday Night Fever because the arm pointed to the ceiling is reminiscent of John Travolta in the movie of that name. (Scroll right>>>>....)

Saturday Night Fever: Action (Getting the upper back to flex).

Same person doing a simple side bend. Note the none uniform curve when bending to the right. This person feels pain upon bending to the right.

What it does

The upper back can become stiffer than the middle or lower lumbar region. (See lower right hand diagram). When this happens, one spot in the middle or lower lumbar spine can take up most of the side bend movement for the whole back, putting it under excessive strain, and pain results.

Standard side bending tends to reinforce lumbar spinal movement. The Saturday night fever side-bend encourages just the upper spine to flex.

Watch Points

Long spine! - Don't let the back arch!

Suggestion

If you have back pain upon bending either to the left or the right, ask a friend to take pictures similar to the lower two pictures.

Reference

Shirley A Sahrmann: Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes Publ. Mosby 2002