A good balanced posture is the key to a healthy spine, where the muscles that move the spine are constantly firing, contracting and relaxing to maintain stability, working in synergy with the larger muscles that move the arms and legs to make body movement more efficient and less taxing on joints. As children we have the potential to develop good postural habits such as sitting up straight and bending are knees to pick something up from the floor, but as we grow we develop bad postural habits from observing the adults around us. Hours in front of the TV, sitting at the computer, mountain bike riding, long distance driving or any job/activity that involves constantly leaning forward can put a tremendous amount of strain through our back, neck and shoulders. These prolonged static postures cause the body to adapt and as a result we start to develop muscle imbalances which then have an impact on the way are joints function leaving us more prone to injury.

Muscles need to be used regularly to make them strong but they also need to be stretched regularly to make them flexible. A healthy muscle is one that is well-toned but also relaxed! Unfortunately modern society puts demands on us meaning that more and more of us are travelling by car rather than walking and spending long hours sat at desks, neglecting the health of our muscles. If a muscle is not used very much it becomes weak and loses its elasticity, which makes movement more difficult.

If a muscle becomes tight or overcontracted, then it will stay tight even if you are not moving. This can lead to poor range of movement, stiffness and wear and tear on a joint. If a muscle becomes weak or overstretched it is not able to support the joint properly and sudden quick movements can lead to irritation of the joint and damage to its surrounding ligaments.

Upper Cross Syndrome is a very common uncomfortable and painful postural complaint that is seen in adults of all ages who adopt prolonged static postures. Secretarial or administrative staff, teachers, designers, bank clerks, taxi drivers, cyclists, hairdressers, gym junkies and X-box or Playstation fanatics are to name just a few examples of the kind of individual that can be affected.

This static postural overuse causes the anterior neck and chest muscles to become tight and shortened, the muscles that attach to the shoulder blades become weak and stretched and the anterior neck muscles are held in a permanently shortened state. This all results in a posture where the head is held forward over the chest, the shoulders are rounded and a hunch develops through the upper back. With the spine and muscles now held in this position, strain is put through the joints of the neck and upper back and can cause symptoms such as headaches and pain in the neck, upper back and shoulders. It can also lead to a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome where the nerves that supply the arms and hands become irritated from shortened tight muscles in the neck and chest and can cause symptoms such as pins and needles, pain or weakness in the arms, hands or fingers.

People with upper cross syndrome may also find that they suffer from breathing problems due to the rib cage not being able to fully expand for lung inflation. As well as the lungs being compromised, there is less cavity space for the stomach and intestines and this can lead onto IBS type symptoms such as constipation, diahorrea, abdominal pain and bloating or regular bouts of indigestion.

So how can upper cross syndrome be treated?

Your Osteopath or Chiropractor will assess your posture and establish which muscles are tight or overcontracted and which muscles are weak and overstretched. They will assess the range of movement you have in your neck, shoulders and back and will discuss your daily working activites and social activities with you to establish what is maintaining this muscular imbalance.

Treatment is different for each individual and may include a range of mobilization techniques that encourage freer movement in your back, neck and shoulders and manipulation of the spine to remove any restricitions in the joints. They will work with the muscles using massage, interferential treatment, stretches and sometimes dry needling to help bring back lost elasticity and strength. Ultrasound is sometimes used over the tendons in the shoulder.

Your treatment plan will also involve some home activities that you can perform between each visit to speed up the healing process, such as neck and back stretches, self massage with a tennis ball over the shoulder area and gentle resistance exercises for the shoulder. Your Osteopath or Chiropractor will ascertain which exercises are suitable for you at the time of your visit. Advice will be given on how to improve your posture in your working and home environment in order to take the strain off those tired muscles and joints.

So if you feel that you have put up with this pain for long enough, take advantage of Junes special offer and visit one of our Osteopaths or Chiropractors to see how they can help.

Chiropractic and Osteopathy June Offer

References

Upper Crossed Syndrome and Its Relationship to Cervicogenic Headache
Michele K. Moore
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics – July 2004 (Vol. 27, Issue 6, Pages 414-420, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2004.05.007)

The Janda Approach to Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain
Philip Page, Clare Frank (2007)