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Thoracic Prone Pressure with Counter Pressure (Parallel Stretch)
CreatedJune 11, 2020
Last UpdatedFebruary 13, 2024
byMeghan
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Steps for Treatment:
- Patient prone, Physician standing at patient side
- Physician hand placement –
- Caudad Hand: thumb and thenar eminence on medial aspect of pt’s thoracic paravertebral musculature overlying transverse process on side opposite of the doctor; fingers point cephalad
- Cephalad Hand: hypothenar eminence on medial aspect of pt’s paravertebral musculature overlying transverse process on ipsilateral side of doctor, fingers pointed caudal
- Make sure your wrists are at the same level, so the tissues push past each other.
- Gentle force with both hands, ventrally to engage soft tissue and then in direction fingers are pointing
- Repeat in gentle, rhythmic/kneading fashion; lift and reposition hands to contact different levels of the thoracic spine
- Work up and down the thoracic spine, lifting and repositioning to contact different levels
Video Tutorial:
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