Damaging effects of forward head posture
Long-term abnormal neck posture leads to muscle strain, disc herniations, arthritis, pinched nerves and instability. Poor health can result from stretching of the spinal cord. A major part of head, neck, jaw and shoulder pain including fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction, and chronic fatigue syndromes is due to poor posture.
The effects of posture on health are becoming more evident. According to the Spine Journal, "spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture. The corollary of these observations is that many symptoms, including pain, may be moderated or eliminated by improved posture."
One of the predominate postural problems is the forward head posture, or FHB. We are a forward-facing world; the repetitive use of computers, texting, video games, trauma and even backpacks has forced the body to adapt a forward head posture. It is the repetition of forward head movement combined with poor ergonomic posture and/or trauma that cause the body to adapt to a forward head posture.
Ideally, your head should sit directly on the neck and shoulders. The weight of your head is approximately the weight of a bowling ball (10-14 pounds). So holding it forward, out of alignment, puts strain on your neck and upper back muscles. According to Dr. Adalbert I. Kapandji, an orthopedic surgeon and the author of "Physiology of the Joints, Volume Three," for every inch your head is craned forward, 10 pounds of effective weight is added. The additional force on your upper back and neck tissues caused by a forward head position places significant stain on your muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves, and can result in the onset of muscle tension headaches and other musculoskeletal problems.
When spinal tissues are subject to a significant load for a sustained period of time, they deform and undergo remodeling changes that could become permanent.
The extra pressure on the neck from altered posture flattens the normal curve of the cervical spine. This results in abnormal strain of the muscles, ligaments, bones and joints of the neck, causing the joints to deteriorate faster than normal, and thus resulting in degenerative joint disease or neck arthritis, as indicated in an article published in the Spine Journal, recognized internationally as the leading journal in its field and the leading sub-specialty journal for the treatment of spinal disorders.
Remember, long-standing postural problems like FHB will cause spine and nerve damage, and symptoms are rarely present early on.
Dr. Wayne Fichter is the lead doctor at Natural Spine Solutions, with more than 15 years of experience treating families. He also has been the lead doctor in handling serious neck and back problems through non-surgical spinal decompression. Call (208) 966-4425 for all of your spinal and wellness needs.