Step 7 — Technique Demonstration Storyboard

Opening: establish the model

• Show a posterior and anterior skeleton from C3 through the coccyx.

• Explain that the demonstration follows muscles and fascia that attach to vertebral bodies, transverse processes, spinous processes, sacrum, and coccyx.

• State the teaching objective:

  “We are identifying and reducing muscular and fascial vectors that may restrict comfortable segmental motion or create uneven loading around a spinal motion segment.”

• Avoid promising that palpation proves vertebral displacement or impaired CSF flow. If discussing meninges or CSF, describe that relationship as the modality’s proposed clinical model.

• Demonstrate the baseline comparison:

  • Comfortable flexion and extension

  • Left and right rotation

  • Left and right side-bending

  • Breathing and rib movement

  • Tissue tone and tenderness

  • Symmetry of movement, without diagnosing vertebral position from palpation alone

Part 1 — Supine: anterior and anterolateral attachments

C3–C7: longus colli region

• Show the cervical vertebral bodies and transverse processes on an illustration.

• Explain that longus colli spans several cervical motion segments; its portions connect cervical bodies and transverse processes. NCBI: prevertebral muscles

• Demonstrate only gentle, anatomically controlled work.

• Clearly identify and avoid the trachea, carotid sheath, thyroid region, and other vulnerable anterior-neck structures.

• Reassess rotation, flexion, and side-bending.

T11–L2: diaphragm–psoas transition

• Show the diaphragm crura, psoas major, lower ribs, and upper lumbar vertebrae.

• Describe the diaphragm crura and psoas as closely adjacent structures, not automatically as the same continuous fibers.

• Use breathing, lower-rib mobility, and adjacent psoas work rather than claiming direct manual access to the diaphragm’s vertebral crura.

• Reassess breathing and comfortable thoracolumbar extension.

L1–L5: psoas major and quadratus lumborum vectors

• Show the psoas attachments to the lumbar transverse processes, vertebral bodies, and disc-adjacent regions.

• Show quadratus lumborum’s relationships with the iliac crest, twelfth rib, and L1–L4 transverse processes. NCBI: quadratus lumborum

• Demonstrate how an anterior or lateral pull could contribute to flexion, extension control, side-bending, rotation, or axial loading.

• Reassess lumbar extension, side-bending, and hip extension.

Part 2 — Prone: posterior spinal attachments

For every section, follow the same filming sequence:

1. Show the vertebral level on the skeleton.

2. Name the muscles attaching there.

3. Show the direction of their fibers.

4. Demonstrate the release.

5. Recheck tissue tone and comfortable movement.

C3–C7 group

• Multifidus, semispinalis, rotatores, interspinales, intertransversarii, splenius, and erector-spinae relationships.

• Compare left and right sides.

• Avoid direct force onto spinous processes or cervical nerve regions.

C7–T1 transition

• Treat this as a distinct junction.

• Include trapezius, rhomboid minor, serratus posterior superior, deep extensors, and cervicothoracic fascia.

• Show the relationship to the upper ribs and scapular attachments.

T2–T5 group

• Emphasize multifidus, rotatores, semispinalis thoracis, erector spinae, rhomboid, and serratus posterior superior vectors.

• Demonstrate posterior-to-anterior, rotational, and side-bending relationships.

T6–T9 group

• Show the continuing deep intrinsic spinal muscles.

• Add latissimus dorsi and thoracolumbar fascial relationships where applicable.

• Include rib-associated vectors without treating the ribs and vertebrae as a single immobile unit.

T10–T11 transition

• Present this as the change between lower-thoracic and thoracolumbar mechanics.

• Introduce the lower-rib, serratus posterior inferior, diaphragm, and thoracolumbar fascia relationships.

T11–L2 group

• Serratus posterior inferior attaches from approximately T11–L2 spinous processes toward the lower ribs. NCBI: extrinsic back muscles

• Include multifidus, erector spinae, latissimus/thoracolumbar fascia, quadratus lumborum, psoas, and diaphragm relationships.

• Reassess breathing, extension, rotation, and side-bending.

L3–L5 group

• Demonstrate multifidus, interspinales, intertransversarii, erector spinae, psoas, quadratus lumborum, and thoracolumbar fascia.

• Show how short segmental muscles can create different vectors from long longitudinal muscles.

L5–S1 transition

• Show the L5–S1 disc, facets, sacral base, iliolumbar region, and adjacent muscular attachments.

• Demonstrate gentle soft-tissue work without describing it as forcing L5 or the sacrum back into position.

• If teaching the lower-lumbar/ilium relationship, identify the L5 transverse-process region—not a normal spinous-process/ilium articulation.

Part 3 — Sacrum and coccyx

Sacral foraminal region

• Identify the posterior sacrum and foraminal margins.

• Include gluteus maximus, multifidus, posterior fascial structures, and the deeper anterior relationship of piriformis.

• Work on muscular attachment areas adjacent to the foramina, not with direct sustained pressure into a sacral foramen.

Sacroiliac mechanics

• Demonstrate nutation and counternutation as small movements, not broad free tilting. Normal SI movement is limited, commonly described in millimeters. NCBI: sacroiliac joint

• Compare left and right tissue vectors without claiming exact sacral position from palpation alone.

Terminal sacrum and coccyx

• Show the sacrococcygeal joint and variable coccygeal segments.

• Posterior attachment: gluteus maximus.

• Anterior/inferior attachments: levator ani components and coccygeus. NCBI: coccyx pain and attachments

• Use external techniques unless the practitioner has the separate training, licensure, consent procedures, and clinical setting required for internal pelvic-floor work.

• Reassess sitting comfort and gentle pelvic movement.

Closing

• Repeat the original movements.

• Compare comfort and range without promising structural realignment.

• End with:

  “The goal is to recognize every muscular and fascial vector acting on each segment, release unnecessary guarding, and restore the most comfortable movement available to that client.”