Forward Head Posture

Most of us spend a lot of time sitting at a computer, riding in the car, watching TV and looking at our smart phone. This can cause a condition called Forward Head Posture or FHP.  FHP creates  a great deal of stress on the muscles and joints of your neck and upper back.  Over time this can lead to traction or stretching of the spinal cord and nerves.  All of this is a recipe for poor spinal health.

Often our body will develop symptoms to warn us of an unhealthy posture.  The most common symptoms are headaches, neck and upper back pain, and shoulder pain. FHP shifts the weight of your head unevenly to some muscles, making them chronically tight and sore, while others get weak from under-use. Imbalanced muscles create uneven pull on the bones of the spine, shoulders and hips, causing misalignment and spinal nerve stress. That nerve stress leads to even tighter muscles, and the vicious cycle goes on and on.

You can break this cycle in part by improving your posture – sit and stand up straight. However, that alone cannot undo the alignment problems that develop gradually from years of poor posture.

Chiropractic adjustments can correct the spinal problems and relieve the nerve pressure and stress, allowing the muscles to begin to adapt and become more flexible so you can more easily straighten up. Remember, you didn’t get that way overnight, and making the necessary changes takes time, too.

Please consider scheduling a visit to check your postural balance and see if you have FHP. Contact our office today at 919-790-2288.