The thoracic area is a section of the spinal column located between the neck and the lower back. Its the section of the spine that the ribs come off of. You may hear your doctor or therapist mention this when explaining a particular diagnosis or course of treatment. But, like most terms used by medical professionals, it’s usually assumed that the caregiver or patient is familiar with it.
The “thorax” is the upper portion of the torso and contains the heart and lungs. It’s also known as the “thoracic cavity”. Since it contains 2 vital organs, there’s a lot that can and does take place there when there are issues with the heart and or breathing. In addition, there are conditions that may affect the spinal column itself such as “compression fractures” or “stenosis”. These are more common conditions that the elderly may experience.