Words by Dan Collins – Remedial Massage Therapist.
A Result of Poor Posture: Upper Cross Syndrome….Have you got it?
Did your mother ever tell you to “sit up straight” And did you listen to her? Chances are that your answers will be “yes” ……. and “no”.
Our modern society with its new technology and ‘smarter’ work practices have relegated so many of us to stationary jobs where we spend most of our working days sitting down; whether behind a desk in front of a computer screen or perhaps behind the wheel of a car. And then what do we do when we leave work at the end of another hard day? Slouch on a sofa to watch TV, or perhaps slump over our own computer and surf the net or nuzzle up to our Iphone and text and Facebook to our hearts content… there’s a pattern here.
And that pattern often leads to Poor Posture and what in some circles is labeled as Upper Cross Syndrome or UCS, you may not have heard of it but you’ve most certainly seen it, in others and perhaps yourself. UCS is not just the symptom of bad posture due to our everyday work and social habits but poor training technique and practices can also bring-on or worsen the condition. Hours spent in the saddle, pool or bench pressing in the gym without proper recovery will often exaggerate the muscle imbalances that go to create UCS in the first place.
So what is UCS?
This Poor Posture and Muscle Imbalance (or UCS) is characterized by the forward head posture or ‘poke neck’, rounded shoulders, a slight hunchback and the winging of your scapula (or shoulder blades) off your trunk; not attractive postures and also postures that can lead to continuing and worsening physical symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, numbness and tingling in the arms along with instability when lifting above your head.
Put simply, the Pectoral muscles of the chest become shortened and tight along with those of the upper back and neck (Upper Trapezius and Levator Scapular), whilst the muscles of your mid back (Rhomboids and Lower Traps) along with the muscles on the front of the neck become lengthened and weak. This combination of muscle imbalances between the flexors and extensors of the upper torso will lead to higher risk of injury and reduced training efficiency.
How can you correct your poor posture/UCS ?
Firstly by recognizing that you may be exhibiting the signs of bad posture and secondly by actively seeking to correct it. What you’re trying to do is bring your shoulders back and down and bringing your head back and straight, to strengthen the muscles that are weak and stretch tight tissues.
And this is where regular Remedial/Sports Massage or Physio can help immensely.
At GCPSH our Remedial Massage Therapists and Physio’s are experienced at recognising Poor Posture and muscle imbalances, and treating the tightened and dysfunctional muscles to the point where posture can be consistently improved and bad habits conquered.
One must recognize though, that UCS symptoms build up over a period of time and so may take some time to correct. Certain muscle groups will need to be strengthened to compliment the work done on the massage table – this is where Pilates, or home exercises prescribed by your Physio can significantly help. In combination with the soft tissue intervention provided by Massage, the effort to correct this is well worth it for you in the long-term!
Otherwise, the best advice we can give you is to remember what your mother said and …… SIT UP STRAIGHT!
Whatever Your Goals, We’ll Keep You On Track!
