Upper Crossed Syndrome: When Your Muscles Forget How to Work Together
By Dr. Andrew Kakishita | Kinetic Chiropractic – Lehi, UT
Let’s keep it simple: Your head is like a bowling ball. Your shoulders are its shelf. If that bowling ball tips too far forward, your muscles have to work overtime to keep it from crashing down.
That’s basically what happens with Upper Crossed Syndrome—a super common postural pattern we see in people who sit a lot, look at screens, or work with their hands in front of them all day.
What Is Upper Crossed Syndrome? It’s a fancy name for when some muscles get too tight and others get too weak. Picture this:
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Your chest and the back of your neck become short and tight.
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Your upper back and the front of your neck become long and weak.
Now your head starts to stick forward, your shoulders round in, and you look like a tired turtle.
How Do You Know You Have It? If you catch yourself doing any of these, you probably have signs of Upper Crossed Syndrome:
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Your head leans forward when you sit or stand
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You constantly feel tension in your neck or upper traps
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You slouch without realizing it
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Your shoulders feel stiff and rolled in
Why It Matters This postural imbalance isn’t just about looks—it affects how you breathe, how you move, and how much tension your body holds every day. Over time, it can lead to:
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Chronic neck pain
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Headaches
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Shoulder issues
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Tingling in the arms
How to Fix It We treat this every day at Kinetic Chiropractic in Lehi. The key isn’t just stretching—it’s retraining the body to balance strength and mobility again.
Here’s what that looks like:
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Chiropractic adjustments to improve joint mobility
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Soft tissue work to release overactive muscles
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Exercises to strengthen the neck flexors, mid-back, and postural stabilizers
We also show you how to adjust your daily habits: how you sit, how you look at your screen, and even how you breathe.
Posture Isn’t About Being Perfect—It’s About Being Strong Enough to Adapt You don’t need to walk around like a robot. But if your posture is leaving you with tension, pain, or fatigue, your body’s asking for help.
Let’s help you stand taller, breathe easier, and feel better.