If you're one of the millions of people who use electronic devices like a cell phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer, you've probably spent hours upon hours staring at the screen with your head jutted forward, as is typical of people who have a forward head posture. This is because a forward head posture is associated with the use of these electronic devices. Reading novels, spending a large amount of time behind the wheel, or watching a lot of televisions are all examples of activities in which you can find yourself holding your head front of your shoulders.
The movement of your head into this forward position, regardless of what caused it, can ultimately lead to a set of muscles that are overactive and a set of muscles that are underactive to complement it. This postural distortion pattern, known as upper cross syndrome (UCS), can lead to abnormalities in the tone or timing of the muscles, which can frequently result in inefficient movement patterns and, in today's culture, increased stress on the joints of the head, neck, and shoulder area.
Muscle imbalances are a potential result of poor posture on any level. Not only in the immediate areas of the neck and shoulders, but also in other parts of the body might be affected by this, as it can have a trickle-down impact. It is not uncommon for a condition known as upper crossed syndrome to coexist alongside another condition known as lower crossed syndrome, which describes a chain of muscular abnormalities that can be found in the hip region.
If you want to be successful in treating UCS for the long term, you will need to identify and treat any postural abnormalities that may occur in other parts of your body. This strategy that takes into account the whole body will reduce tensions throughout the entire kinetic chain while simultaneously improving the outcomes intended. In addition to this, it is the resource of choice for movement specialists working in the fitness business.
CONCEPTS BEHIND THE WORDS “CROSSED” AND “COUNTERCROSSED”
Upper crossed syndrome gets its name from the pattern of crossing that occurs in the overactive muscles, which is then balanced by the countercrossing that occurs in the underactive muscles. When observed from the side, these two groups of muscles can be represented by an X-shaped pattern. A diagonal pattern is formed by the hyperactive muscles, beginning at the back of the neck with the upper trapezius and levators and moving forward to the front of the neck and shoulder with the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and pectoralis major.
On the opposite side of the X is a representation of the muscles that are not actively being used. These muscles range from the deep cervical flexors all the way down to the mid/lower trapezius, rhomboids, and serratus anterior. This X pattern of muscular imbalances will become more prevalent if we continue to adopt sedentary postures with our heads tipped forward, as a result of using electronic gadgets or making bad choices regarding the exercises we perform and how we perform them.
IDENTIFY IMBALANCES
Whether you are training clients or carrying out your own fitness routine, achieving and sustaining the perfect posture is of the utmost importance to ensuring that the programme is both safe and successful. In order to resolve postural or movement imbalances, it is necessary to first identify the posture that is less than ideal and then devise a strategy for corrective exercise. This corrective programme may be applied in two different contexts. To begin, it can function as an independent phase of the client's training, during which they will be able to improve their postural control and endurance levels. Second, it may be used as a movement warm-up before a workout, which is a very useful application.
The client may be in a post-rehabilitation scenario when the first application is made, at which point they will require a programme that combines adaptability with both local and integrative strengthening. The second use will most likely be for the customer who wants to move more effectively and improve their coordination before increasing their speed and the amount of force they exert during their workout.
To begin correcting any type of postural distortion pattern, the first thing you need to do is be able to recognise the issue. The upper crossing syndrome can be viewed in a variety of ways, from a variety of vantage points, and with a variety of motions. Gait observations, overhead squats, pushing and pulling motions, and static posture analyses are some examples of fundamental examinations that can be used to discover distortion tendencies. UCS can be determined in any type of postural assessment, whether it be static, dynamic, or transitional, by observing the position of the head in relation to the shoulders, as well as the arms and shoulder blades in relation to the ribs.
Using the landmarks of the ears, shoulders, and the glenohumeral (GH) joint, a static posture assessment can determine UCS by noting if the ears are forward of the shoulder. This is done by comparing the position of the shoulders to the ears. You could even claim that this individual is slouching their shoulders.
Observations for the shoulder blade and the upper arm can be viewed from the front and side views with the overhead squat, pushing (pushup), and pulling (cable row) motions. These activities involve the shoulder blade and the upper arm. During an evaluation of an overhead squat for potential symptoms of UCS, some of the movements that should be noted are as follows:
During the descent, the arms are allowed to fall forward or to the side.
- Migrating forward with the head
- Elevating or raised shoulder blades
- Flexing of the elbows or having difficulty maintaining a straight arm position
Someone may display one or more of the movement compensations indicated below depending on the severity of the distortion they are experiencing. The conclusions can also be confirmed by combining the results of the various examinations. During the design phase of the programme, this aids in assigning priorities to the corrective strategies.
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