A Double Cross

As a chiropractor, neck pain, headaches, and shoulder pain or tension are some of the most common complaints that walk through the doors.  While spinal adjustments are usually very effective at providing relief for these symptoms, just like with any health problem, when you go back to the very same lifestyle habits or routines that were the root cause of the problem to begin with, the pain or ailment often returns.  When it comes to spinal or muscular pain, the root cause is often very simple – our posture and daily activity alter the alignment, balance, and function of our spine as well as the muscles that move and support our spine.  In recent decades, we have become world–class sitters and the posture we assume during prolonged hours of sitting becomes the regular posture of our spines.  In the upper back and neck, this postural distortion is known as Upper-Crossed Syndrome.

In Upper-Crossed Syndrome (UCS), tightness of the upper shoulder or trapezius muscles on the back side “crosses” with tightness of the chest muscles on the front side from sitting with rounded shoulders.  Likewise, weakness of the front neck muscles crosses with weakness of the middle back muscles as a result of not using these muscles when we sit. This pattern of imbalance creates joint dysfunction, particularly in the neck and upper back.  Think of this phenomenon literally as a tug-of-war on the muscles and internal structures.  This imbalance and stress on the spine correlates with the primary areas of spinal misalignment or subluxation, disc degeneration, and arthritic change we commonly see in the spine as we age.  These postural changes seen in UCS, include forward head posture, tension up the back side of the neck, loss of curvature in the neck and an increased curvature or “humping” in the upper back resulting in “winging” of the shoulders.  In addition to neck and upper back pain, these postural changes are known to cause numerous problems and excessive wear-and-tear in the shoulder joints.  While this postural change is very common, it is also completely preventable and usually reversible.

Think of what your neck, upper back, and shoulders look like when you sit at a computer, drive in a car, or relax on the couch.  The head is forward and bent, and the upper back and shoulders are rounded.  The good news is that when you work to reverse this posture, the syndrome and the pain associated with it can be reversed as well.  In this case you simply need to perform stretches and exercises to move the head backward to bring the ears over the shoulders.  Similarly you need to perform stretches to open up the chest and exercises to strengthen the shoulder blades and bring the upper back into extension.  In most cases, it may take several months to reverse these changes, but for someone suffering from chronic upper back, shoulder, neck pain, and tension headaches the work is worth the effort.  Reversing these postural distortions is also the key to getting the longest lasting results with your chiropractic care by addressing the root cause of these particular spinal problems.  If you’ve been dealing with these problems, I encourage you to get with a chiropractor who incorporates this work or simply look up Upper-Crossed Syndrome to learn more about the appropriate exercises.