Poor Posture Series: 6 Issues Arising From Forward Head Posture

We all heard it growing up from our parents and grandparents, “sit up straight” “you need to have good posture”. Does posture really matter? The answer is YES!!

Poor posture can effect almost everything in our bodies from muscle control to digestion. For starters, forward head posture is the most common abnormal posture.

Why is forward head posture so common?

Think about what most of us do on a daily basis; sit at desk for 8 hours working on a computer. When we’re not at work we are looking down at our cell phones or using the laptop/tablet at home.

The average human head weighs about 10-12 lbs; every inch the head moves forward the weight of the head increases by 10 pounds. This means someone with a forward head posture of 3 inches now has a head that weighs roughly 40 lbs. This puts lots of added stress on the muscles of the neck and upper back as they are constantly working harder.

Here are the six issues associated with forward head posture:

• Neck Pain
• Headaches
• Upper back pain/tightness
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Numbness/ tingling down the arms into the hands
• Breathing issues including sleep apnea

What we do about it:

Conduct a thorough chiropractic evaluation. This includes a postural assessment. If necessary, x-rays may be recommended to truly see how the spine is aligned.
Present every patient with an individualized treatment plan. The treatment plan will consist of postural exercises, adjustments, and traction (if necessary) all designed to improve and reverse the abnormal posture and spinal alignment. Patients are taught specifically how their posture is misaligned and are also sent home with exercises to reverse the posture.
Next time you’re looking in the mirror, look at your posture. Does your head seem to be farther forward than it should? Are you experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above? If so, call our office here at Living Health Integrative Medicine immediately for an evaluation and postural assessment.