[Physioguy]

Originally Posted by Physioguy

...The head drifts forward, the front neck muscles become tight...

Hi Physioguy

In the position you described (foward head, rounded shoulders) wouldn't the muscles in the back of the neck become tight?

TC

Well, certain muscles (the small ones at the base of the skull called the suboccipitals) basically tighten, from having to hold the head up (the suboccipitals are notorious for headaches starting at the back of the skull). But, generally, the muscles on the back of the neck are called extensors. If the head is drifting forward (in a flexion direction), the muscles are actually getting stretched. Due to the forward pull, they often feel tight, and the tone does increase, again because the muscles are on tension, holding the head up. You see, with balanced posture, the head basically sits or balances on the spine. When then head drifts forward, something has to hold it up against gravity. This is part of the reason most of us need a massage to our shoulder and neck muscles. Because the head is in a forward position, the muscles in front of the neck, the flexors, are in a shortened position, so they really are tight.

So, we may be talking semantics here, but the upper back and neck muscles tend to get into a "stretch weakness" with a forward head posture - but they have increased tone. Does that make sense? Tight, to me, refers to shortening of a muscle, while tone refers to the texture of the muscle itself.

Yikes, this stuff is hard to explain in writing!