Natural apophyseal glides

Natural apophyseal glides are movements that happen between the small joints in your spine called facet joints. These joints help you move and bend your back, but sometimes they can get stiff or stuck. When this happens, a therapist can use natural apophyseal glides to help loosen up the joints and reduce pain.

Think of your spine like a train track, with each bone (vertebra) like a train car. On each train car, there are little bumps called apophyses that stick out. These bumps fit into little slots on the train car in front of them, which helps keep the train cars (vertebrae) lined up.

When you move your back, the apophyses slide along the slots to let the different vertebrae move separately. But sometimes, they can get stuck. This can happen from sitting too long, bad posture, or even just aging.

When a therapist performs natural apophyseal glides, they use gentle pressure to move the apophyses back into the right position. This helps free up the joints and make your back feel better.

Overall, natural apophyseal glides are just a fancy way of describing how your back moves. By getting the little bumps in your spine back in the right place, a therapist can help reduce pain and stiffness in your back.