neck and pressing straight down into your trap (see photo 1). If you do this, you’ll always hit the first rib. Once you’ve located the target area, pin a PVC pipe or dowel against the wall, lie on the ground, and position an end of the pipe into the first rib. The goal is to create a depression on the first rib by driving your body upward into the pipe. Once you’ve accomplished that, work to restore suppleness by moving your arm overhead, oscillating your arm back and forth, or by taking in a big breath and driving your body into the pipe. The key is to not just hang out and suffer, but to get as much motion at the first rib as possible. If you’re a tactical athlete who has to pack around 50 to 100 pounds of gear, put a gold star next to this mobilization and place it near the center of your mobility target. Think: The weight of your pack is bearing down on your neck and shoulder, pressing into the first rib. In addition to getting brutally tight, the motion segment gets jammed into the nerves coming out of your neck. No wonder your hands are numb and you can barely raise your arm overhead. By attacking the first rib, you can restore normal function to the scapula.
Jam a wooden dowel (you can probably find one of these in your closet) into a corner and position it on your first rib. To create a depression on the area and tack-down your first rib, take a big breath in, drive your heels into the ground, and slide your body toward the wall above you. Alternately, you can also use a PVC pipe with a towel wrapped around the end.
Keeping the dowel pinned in place, straighten your arm over your head. If you run into a barrier as you raise your arm, oscillate back and forth and try to get as much excursion through the tissues as possible.