Ever go to a chiropractor or PT, get your back cracked, and walk out feeling amazing, only for the tightness and pain to return a few days later?
That temporary relief feels great, but here’s the truth: mobility without control doesn’t last.
At Bax Performance and Rehab, we see it all the time. Patients come in saying, “I just got adjusted, but my back still locks up when I sit or train.” The problem isn’t that the adjustment failed. It’s that no one taught the body how to use that new range of motion.
Let’s break down what’s really going on, and how to fix it.
Manual therapy — adjustments, manipulations, soft tissue work — can absolutely help. It’s a great way to reduce stiffness, restore joint motion, and relieve discomfort.
But here’s the key: when you leave the clinic and go right back to your normal posture or movement habits, your body “forgets” that new range. Without reinforcing it, the spine stiffens again.
That’s why we don’t stop at passive treatment. We follow every adjustment or mobility gain with training, because mobility without strength and stability is just a short-term fix.
Your thoracic spine (the mid-back region) is crucial for rotation, breathing, and posture. When it stiffens up, your lower back and shoulders start overcompensating, leading to pain and poor movement patterns.
One of our favorite ways to train new mobility after treatment is a band-assisted thoracic extension.
Here’s how to do it:
Set up a band on a GHD or 45-degree back raise machine. Use a stiff band for resistance.
Loop it around your upper back and neck.
Bend forward slowly to round your spine, then extend over the band, arching your upper back.
Move back and forth through the range — high repetitions, not long holds.
This teaches your spine to move segment by segment while engaging the muscles that stabilize each vertebra. If you don’t have a GHD, you can use a 45-degree back raise or even a sturdy bench.
By combining this with proper breathing and posture work, you’re teaching your nervous system to own that mobility instead of losing it the moment you sit down again.
Think of your spine like a hinge. You can loosen it temporarily, but unless you oil it and use it regularly, it’ll lock back up.
Every time you restore joint motion, you need to retrain the muscles and brain that control that segment.
At BPR, we call this training the gain. After every soft tissue or mobility technique, we follow up with movement to:
Integrate new motion into real-world patterns.
Stabilize the spine under load.
Prevent recurrence of stiffness or pain.
That’s what separates temporary relief from long-term progress.
Not moving afterward.
Going straight from the table to sitting in your car reinforces the same stiffness you just got rid of.
Only focusing on one area.
Your thoracic spine, hips, and shoulders all affect each other. Treating one without the others leaves weak links.
Skipping strength work.
A strong back is a mobile back — you can’t separate the two.
Over-relying on adjustments.
Manual therapy is a tool, not a solution. Real progress comes from combining it with load, control, and consistency.
At Bax Performance and Rehab, every session follows a simple formula:
Restore: Improve mobility and tissue quality with targeted manual therapy or soft tissue work.
Train: Reinforce that mobility with strength and control drills tailored to your sport or movement goals.
Perform: Apply those gains in real movement — lifting, running, jumping, or whatever performance means to you.
That’s how we turn short-term relief into long-term performance.
Even if you’re not currently in rehab, you can use this concept to keep your spine healthy:
Add 2–3 sets of band-assisted thoracic extensions at the end of your training week.
Combine them with thoracic rotations, wall slides, or cat-cows for full-range control.
Focus on breathing and control — slow, steady movement through end range.
Mobility is a skill. The more you practice it, the more resilient your back becomes.
A good adjustment or mobility session should make you feel great, but that’s just step one.
The real magic happens when you teach your body how to move within that new range.
If you want to stay pain-free and move better for the long haul, stop chasing quick cracks and start training your mobility.
See how we combine mobility work with training to keep your spine moving the way it should:
Don’t settle for temporary relief. We’ll help you understand the “why” behind your pain, rebuild movement capacity, and perform pain-free again.
📞 Call/Text: (925) 397-0399
📧 Email: Abigail@BaxPerformanceRehab.com
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy – The Role of Thoracic Mobility in Pain and Performance
National Library of Medicine – Effects of Thoracic Manipulation Combined with Exercise