Upper back strains and forward head posture

[jakeg]

Hi guys, two (probably) related questions:

First, I've had three episodes of upper back pain in the last three months. All three times the pain extended from the middle to upper back, right along the right side of my spine and was aggravated by moving my neck toward any extreme of its ROM. In the first two episodes, the pain went away after a few days rest (the third episode happened yesterday). Yesterday's episode happened after doing the "300" workout (didn't notice any pain until after the workout); the one before that I noticed after rolling in BJJ, and I don't recall the cause of the first one. Anyway, I'm thinking garden-variety trapezius strain.

So, the first question is: what imbalances or deficencies are predisposing me to these muscle strains, and what can I do about it?

I also have a mild forward-head posture, which I noticed for the first time about a month ago during a photo posture check. Since then, I've been doing a set of "chin tucks" before every workout, as well as trying to be conscious of my posture during the rest of the day. Anything else I can do to correct my posture?

[UConnJulie]

Honestly, it's more likely that you have a facet joint that is not playing nicely. You really ought to see a qualified professional as they are difficult to "cure" by yourself.