A slightly fancy name for what is a rather common postural habit of forward head/neck position, resulting in a weakening and lengthening of certain muscles and a shortening and tightening of the opposing muscle group. Think of a pulley system with two cables; exert a pulling force one side and the other will then come towards it, the same applies in upper crossed syndrome and over time, presents us with various problems.

Some muscles are classified as ‘postural’ and others ‘phasic’, the role of postural muscles is primarily to create stability and maintain posture, they are capable of sustained low-level activity and are classified as ‘slow twitch’ or type 1 muscle fibres. Phasic muscles are responsible for powerful, more gross movements and classified as type 2 or ‘fast’ twitch and will fatigue more quickly.
Postural muscles placed under constant stress tend to shorten and tighten, phasic muscles on the opposite side of the ‘pulley’ chain tend to lengthen and weaken and here we can see how imbalance arises.

Let us get specific to what happens in this example. With the head forward from a central position, it has been calculated that for every 2.5cm of forward projection the effective weight of the skull being held increases by approximately 4kg, placing the posterior neck muscles under significant strain (as they hold the head up), blood supply is reduced, and the muscles shorten/ tighten. The opposing muscles, our neck flexors are pulled into a lengthened position and weaken reciprocally, think towards the pulley system again. Furthermore, the spine will adopt a rounded position in the upper back in response to the extended curve of posterior neck, which in turn will shorten the chest muscles and pull the shoulders forward. In response, the Rhomboid muscles in the upper back weaken and lengthen.

A fact of modern life is that we spend more time sitting down, be it working at a desk or sitting in a car and I would suggest a careful analysis of how you sit. Consider that for many, this is maintained for hours at a time, consecutive days at a time: Chair choice, sitting bone position, distance from desk, desk height and feet positioning are some key factors to address.

Why? To keep the plumb line of head, shoulders hips, as vertical as possible to reduce the muscular load and maintain better balance from front to back.

Method: The feet are best placed firmly and evenly on the ground (not crossed) to balance the load across your base which helps maintain a level pelvis and balances the load upwards through the spine. Rest the forearms straighter on the desk, not inward facing to keep the chest and shoulders more open and perhaps on to a cushion or soft yoga blocks. If the elbows are off the desk, allow them to hang lower than the wrists so the shoulders are dropped and not hitched, a common habit which compounds shoulder tension.

Of course, there are physio exercises and yoga techniques which would further support the strength and flexibility of said muscles which I will not go in to today; but perhaps this may get you thinking -increasing awareness of our body is paramount then we can recognise what we do and how it affects us. The one thing I would add is that extended periods of sitting does shorten our hip flexors which inhibits our glute function and can directly affect structures further up the body including the shoulders.

If you sit a lot do the runners lunge regularly, stand up from your desk regularly, reach up and open out your arms a few times, your body will thank you for it!

For further information, conditioning advise, treatments and yoga 1 to 1’s contact me. You will find more articles and videos on my facebook page: @William7LaneVitalityMassage

Go well. Will