Myotherapy EastMelbourne
Syndrome Of The Upper
And Lower Crossed
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.