If you’re like me, chances are you’re sitting in front of your computer or looking down at your phone right now. Not only that, but you’re likely also slouching. All of this slouching and looking down really messes up your posture and can cause something called upper crossed syndrome, or UCS. It happens when the muscles of your upper back, shoulders, neck, and chest become out of balance. What’s happening is that the muscles in your upper back—your trapezius and levator scapulae—become strained. At the same time, the muscles in your chest—your pectoralis major and minor—get tight and become shortened. From the side, these muscle groups tend to form an X shape, leading to the condition’s name—upper crossed syndrome. The main cause of UCS is poor posture, mostly caused by our use of technology, which demands that workers sit in front of a computer and that people spend hours hunched over …