Is Your Posture to Blame for your Neck Pain?

Do you feel exhausted at the end of the day? Is your neck constantly causing you pain? Do you suffer from regular headaches, and maybe even fibromyalgia? You may not have considered this before, but the way you hold your head could actually be the cause.

Forward Head Carriage Basics:

When your head is positioned correctly, the opening of the ear is centered over your shoulder. If the opening of your ear is towards the front of your shoulder and off center, you have forward head posture, or forward head carriage. Remarkably, for every inch that your head is off center, your muscles are working some serious overtime, and that extra unnecessary weight is exerted upon them. Those neck muscles of yours are working really hard...just to keep your head up!

Many of us lead lifestyles that are a contributing factor to this condition. We spend hours hunched over our desks at work, our kid spend too much time in front of the TV, phones are often cradled between our ear and shoulder, and long periods of time spent driving can all lead to forward head posture. Forward head posture is no joke; If ignored, it can lead to disc compression and poor health.

Here's How To Help Yourself

There are a number of small changes you can make to work towards correcting forward head posture:

• Stay aware of the time you are spending either playing video games or watching TV, and limit both your and/or your children's time.
• If you sit at a desk at work, be sure to get up and stretch every 45 minutes.
• Regularly check your posture. Be sure that you are sitting up straight and holding your head in an upright position.
• Try sleeping with a cervical pillow to maintain the proper curve in your cervical spine.
• See us for regular chiropractic adjustments. Studies have shown that chiropractic care is an effective treatment for reversing forward head posture, reducing pain, and preventing further deterioration of the spine.

If you think forward forward head posture might be an issue for you and you suffer from back or neck pain, headaches, fatigues, or muscle weakness contact us today for a consultation.