Thoracic Inlet

Common Holds

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  Thoracic inlet from side
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  Thoracic inlet from side
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  Thoracic inlet from side
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  Thoracic inlet from side
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  Thoracic inlet from head
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  Thoracic inlet from head
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  Thoracic inlet from side
• 
  Thoracic inlet from side
• 
  Thoracic inlet from side
• 
  Thoracic inlet from side

Overview

Basic Hold

Slide the lower hand under the base of the neck. The spinous processes of the CTJ (cervical thoracic junction) C6, C7, T1 can be in the palm of the hand or you can place you finger tips on the spinous processes. The upper hand rests across supra sternal notch/ top of the sternum, contacting both clavicles. The thumb can be flat against the hand or open, pointing to the table. Be careful not to crowd the throat.

Variations

Alternative Hold

The hands move in from the shoulders and form a ring around the base of the neck and throat. If your thumb size allows you can contact the transverse processes of C7. Your thumb and fingers follow the shape of the 1st rib. The finger pads rest over the clavicle and sternum.

Treatment Notes

C7 is a useful vertebral segment to orient to for most clients. The cervical thoracic junction, including C6 and T1, provides a huge amount of afferentation to the central nervous system. This area seems to be involved in the majority of cases of musculoskeletal pain and organ dysfunction. This area is often quite buzzy and throbbing. It often feels as though there is a real grab and tightness to the thoracic inlet.
There are lost of tubes passing through the thoracic inlet: trachea, oesophagus, carotid sheaths containing the jugular vein and the carotid artery, the dural tube, the vertebral column, the larynx and pharynx are a muscular tube. Compression in this region, often led by distortions of the first rib, will affect communication between the head and the torso. This region is the link between head and heart.
The spinal cord thickens here due to the cervical enlargement as the nerves from the arms join the central nervous system. You can orient to the brachial plexi as they pass under the clavicles.
Another common perception here is the neural activity around the top of the heart and the pathway of the vagus nerve. It is common hold in which the client meets difficult emotions as the thoracic inlet lets go of chronic tension patterns.

Relevant Anatomy