Syndrome of the Upper Crosses
Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS) is the term used to describe muscular imbalance in the neck and shoulder. The upper trapezius and levator scapula, which both raise the shoulder blade, are the muscles that are tense in the UCS, crossed with stiffness in the pectoralis major and minor. The deep neck flexors and lower trapezius muscles are weak as a result of this tension. The image below demonstrates this:
What does all of this mean, and how does it impact our bodies?
A hunched or slouched posture may result from UCS. Their shoulders are rounded forward, and their mid-back curve is more pronounced, as observed in someone with a hunchback. You'll also notice that they have a forward-facing head. The head weights an additional 10 pounds for every inch that it moves forward, which can be problematic. While using a computer or phone to send texts or make calls, picture your tiny neck muscles supporting 20 pounds all day. That can be extremely taxing and result in issues with your neck, shoulders, and even down the arms. It makes sense that these postural adjustments could have an impact on your joints' long-term health as well as general wellbeing. The mechanics of how the shoulder moves are dramatically altered when the shoulder blades are in such a bad position. All 18 of the muscles that link to the shoulder blade are impacted when the shoulder blade is misaligned. Other nearby muscles will have to step in to make up for the inability of the muscles that are designed to move the shoulder in a specific way. Repetitive overcompensation like this can cause joint cartilage deterioration, neck and arm pain, shoulder instability, and RTC dysfunction.
Crossed Lower Syndrome
The pelvis is involved in Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS), which is quite similar to Upper Crossed Syndrome. LCS is a result of imbalances in the lower segment, just like UCS is. Hip flexors and low back extensors are the muscles that are short and tight in LCS, which results in weakness in the gluteus maximus and abdominals. The image below exemplifies LCS:
According to the illustration, weak abdominals cross over with weak glutes, and tight hip flexors cross over with tight low back extensors. Similar to UCS, these muscle length and strength abnormalities can cause the pelvis to not be in the ideal position. An anterior tilt of the pelvis, greater hip flexion, and compensatory overextension of the low back are all effects of this imbalance. This posture frequently results in compensating tight hamstrings since it tends to overstress both hip joints as well as the lower back. A person with LCS typically looks like the one in the image below:
This improper pelvic alignment puts a lot of strain on the low back and makes it challenging to stabilise the core. Numerous musculoskeletal injuries might result from an unsteady core.
What steps can we take to avoid Crossed Syndrome, then?
The answer is simple. Simply loosen and stretch your tight muscles, then work on strengthening your weak ones. You can find instructions for some exercises and releases by clicking on the links below.
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