A female client in her mid-30s came to me with persistent neck pain and frequent headaches. She lives an active lifestyle with plenty of walking and regular spa treatments to release muscle tension, but the relief never lasted longer than a day or two. She also experienced dizziness and headaches during workouts, which often forced her to pause and rest.
During the assessment I noted mild deviations in both the cervical and lumbar spine, scapular dyskinesia, and a rotated ribcage. Like many people, she overused the anterior chain of her body. Research shows that forward-dominant posture and anterior chain overuse increase stress on the cervical spine and are strongly linked with chronic neck pain and headaches (Falla et al., 2017, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology). Her tight calves, weak glutes, and general compensation patterns reinforced this imbalance and limited her ability to stabilize through the posterior chain.
Our training addressed three main areas. We worked on glute activation to restore posterior chain support, decompression of the cervical spine to reduce pressure, and targeted release of the quadriceps and hamstrings to break compensations. These approaches are consistent with current evidence that shows posterior chain strengthening, mobility work, and cervical unloading can significantly reduce both pain and headache frequency in people with postural dysfunction (Kjaer et al., 2017, Musculoskeletal Science and Practice).
With consistent, tailored training she began to feel stronger. Her posture improved and her neck pain became far less frequent.
Targeted training matters. For busy business owners especially, having a clear goal and a focused plan allows sessions to be efficient while building long term resilience.
Mulberry Whale by Joyymer 