When your first rib is immobile or hypomobile, it can cause a lot of problems. Many of the symptoms can be masked as something else. It can cause neck pain, shoulder pain, arm and hand numbness and tingling, and even headaches. There are a few ways to mobilize your first rib.
First, take a belt, towel, or anything firm. Resistive bands will NOT work for this. Place the belt or towel between your neck and shoulder on the side you want to mobilize. Pull the front part across your body almost like a seatbelt and hold it with your opposite hand. Then take the hand on the same side and grab the belt behind you. Side bend and rotate your neck toward the side of the pain to relax your scalene muscles. Pull downward and across with the opposite hand and take a deep breath in and out. As you are breathing out, pull down harder.
If that is not quite enough stretch, you can take a tennis ball or racquet ball and place it in the same spot between your neck and shoulder where the first rib is. Side bend and rotate your neck toward the side of pain and take a deep breath in and push down as you are breathing out. You can do this as many times as you want throughout the day!
