ADVERTISING: Advertorial — 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 is due to poor posture, including fibromyalgia, myofascial pain syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndromes.
The effects of posture on health are becoming more evident. “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 most predominant 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 have forced the body to adapt to a forward head posture. It is the repetition of forward head movement combined with poor ergonomic posture and or trauma that causes 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, by 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, ten pounds of effective weight is added. The additional force on your upper back and neck tissues caused by a forward head position places significant strain 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 resulting in abnormal strain of muscles, ligaments, bones and joints of the neck, causing the joints to deteriorate faster than normal, resulting in degenerative joint disease or neck arthritis, as indicated in an article published in the Spine Journal.
Call Natural Spine Solutions today and schedule your postural evaluation. Dr. Wayne Fichter will provide a specific treatment plan to address any postural issues. This plan will include chiropractic treatment, exercises and stretches designed to help restore proper alignment of the spine which can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall function.
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Dr. Wayne M. Fichter Jr. is a chiropractor at Natural Spine Solutions. The business is located at 3913 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene, 208-966-4425.