Upper crossed pattern is a tight chest and back of the neck paired with underactive deep neck flexors and mid-back, the classic screen-facing shape.
The pecs and the upper neck stay on; the front of the neck and the mid-back stay underused. 📝Forward Head Posture often rides with it. In 📝Postural / Structural Realignment this is a map for where to lengthen and where to ask for work, not a diagnosis of a syndrome and not a claim that every desk worker has the same anatomy.
Clients recognize the shape: head forward, chest closed, shoulders that will not drop. Work restores chest and upper-neck options, then asks the mid-back and the deep front of the neck to share the stack. Stretching the neck harder is usually the wrong lever.
Numbness, arm weakness, dizziness on looking up, or trauma is a referral.