Good posture is often hard to achieve.
Sitting at a computer all day can cause you to start to slouch or
lean forward to see well. All this, however, negatively impacts your
posture, which can reduce your mobility and leave you in constant
pain. One common posture issue is forward head position. If you want
to stop your pain, check out more about forward head position.
What Is Forward Head Position?
When you sit or stand with good
posture, your ears should line up with the gravity line: a fake line
that represents gravity's pull. With forward head posture, your chin
slowly pokes forward, which pushes the ears in front of the gravity
line.
This makes your head feel like it
weighs a lot more than it really does. With good posture, your head
should put off about 10 to 12 pounds of force. The further your head
bends forward, however, the heavier the head feels. With only a
15-degree forward tilt, the head weighs 27 pounds. At 60 degrees, the
head feels like it weighs 60 pounds.
What Causes the Condition?
Poor posture causes forward head
position. Thanks to computers, tablets, and phones, your head is
often tilted down. At a computer, you may also lean closer as eye
strain makes it harder to see. Overtime, this actually alters the
muscles in your neck and shoulders. Typically, with forward head
posture, the muscles in the front of the neck become elongated and
weaker.
At the same time, the muscles at the
back of your neck and shoulders shorten and tighten. With severe
forward head posture, standing with good posture may be impossible or
painful. The condition is also often accompanied by kyphosis
(hunchback), which causes the shoulders and upper back to round
forward.
What Are the Symptoms?
The most obvious symptom of forward
head posture is bad posture: chin poking out, rounded shoulders, and
tilted head. Of course, the real symptoms are pain and limited
mobility. You often feel pain when you try to use the tight muscles
of the back of the neck and shoulders. This can make it hard,
painful, or impossible to fully move your arms, shoulder, neck, and
head.
Tight muscles can also cause tension
headaches or TMJ pain. In severe cases, muscle ischemia may occur.
This happens when blood flow is restricted, which causes a block or
buildup in your arteries. If left untreated, it may lead to severe
problems.
How Is the Condition Treated?
Forward head posture is treated by
managing the pain/stiffness while also working on strengthening and
lengthening muscles. Your doctor or chiropractor can provide you with
the guidance you need to fix your forward head position. Other things
you can do are adjust the computer screen, keep your chest lifted
when sitting, and use a neck pillow.
Forward head posture can cause a lot of
pain, so if you need immediate relief, you have options. One of the
best choices is a chiropractic adjustment, which can loosen up the
joints you haven't been able to move because of tight muscles. This
can help reduce pain immediately and help with mobility so you can do
more exercises and stretches. The chiropractor may also perform
modalities, such as massage or electrical stimulation, which can help
relax tight muscles.
Forward head position treatment takes
time, and it requires a lot of stretching and exercising. If you need
immediate relief, however, a chiropractic adjustment and modalities
may help. If you would like to know more about chiropractic
manipulations or modalities and how they can help with your posture, contact us
at Corner Chiropractic Center today.
