Sitting for hours with rounder back staring at computer screens causes the front of your shoulders and chest muscles to tighten. And the muscles to the back of your spine named the rhomboids and middle trapezius compensate by weakening and lengthening. The same happens at the neck as well. A group of muscles to the front of your neck are weak and as a result of this the neck extensors tighten. This results in the upper-cross syndrome.
About 90% of us have gotten into postural imbalance and the common cause being prolonged sitting using computers, even cell phones. Very often this results in the upper-cross syndrome that is commonly referred to as rounding and slouching of your neck and upper back. This is usually coupled with head position that it protruding forward along with your arms and shoulders that are being rotated internally.
Posture problems such as this one are result of “muscular reciprocal inhibition”. This simply means that all the muscles in the body have to work in proportion and the conjunction with each other in order to have good posture, good function, good movement and maintain overall health.When a certain group of muscles are overworked, they become tonic and short and tighter. And as a result of this, a group of muscles to the opposite side of the body have to compensate by weakening and lengthening.
The most common problems associated with this postural imbalance are neck pain, mid-back pain, shoulder pain, headaches and some researchers associate insomnia and lack of sleep as a result of upper-cross syndrome as well.
So, which are the specific muscles that cause the imbalance of the neck?
- The neck extensors (the muscles to the side of your neck and back of your neck) and chest muscles are really tight, so we need to stretch them.
- And neck flexors (the muscles to the front of you neck) and mid-back muscles are weakened, so we need to strengthen them.
So, could you posture be improved?
Absolutely yes!
With a little commitment and will to work on your stretches and strengthening exercises that you receive during your Treatment Plan, (this plan accelerates your progress) you will be able to not only improve your posture, but to reduce the tension in your neck and upper back as well as prevent the tension related pain and headaches in the future.
Does that sound like something you wish for? Then don’t hesitate and get your Treatment Plan with Massage Sense by sending an email us.
