Here I sit in front of my laptop typing my message to all of you about the a crisis that is facing our society as a result our ever changing society and its use of technology. I find that as I type I move my head forward to read, to type, and to reread. My cell phone calls to me, I pick it up; bending forward to look at the screen and text a response. Within a matter of five minutes I have jutted my head forward over my chest and as I do I can feel the tension in my upper back. I wonder how many of us notice this for a while and then it fades away as we become accustomed to the bend.
I took a yoga class this afternoon, by a person I consider my mentor, in which she brought to light what I had feared. Andrea seems to know exactly what her students need to work on. As she began the class she showed all of us a diagram of the muscles that make up our neck, focusing specifically on the sternocleidomastoid muscle.
According to Julie Gudmestad, a yoga wellness educator, "Forward head posture - and its more advanced relative, hyperkyphosis - is rampant in today's sedentary, computer-centric society. Forward head posture can cause strain and tightness in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, potentially resulting in shoulder and neck pain, headaches, jaw pain, and in its more advanced stages, even compressed chest and breathing issues.Worse, if forward head posture develops into full-fledged hyperkyphosis, it creates a host of additional health issues. In the last few decades, researchers have become increasingly concerned about the health effects of a hyperkyphotic posture. And what they are finding is not pretty.You’ve heard about osteoporosis and how important it is to prevent osteoporosis-related loss of bone mass to avoid fractures as you get older. But here’s what you probably haven’t heard: A slumped forward posture—if allowed to mature into the full-fledged hyperkyphosis of old age—puts you at risk for the exact same issues as osteoporosis.Yes, you heard that right – hyperkyphosis is a risk factor for the same problems as osteoporosis, including greater risk for vertebral fractures, greater risk of falls and fall-related fractures. And, not only that—it is a contributing factor to a host of other health issues as well." Go to this link to watch and learn from her educational videos.
It was amazing to see a couple of things. First, that as we move our head forward our entire upper back begins to fold forward rounding creating a hunchback appearance. Second, that as we move our head forward, the weight of our head, which on average weighs between 10-12 pounds, increases two fold. There were a few gasps from all of us as we took all of this in.
When your shoulders round forward, and your upper back rounds over (kyphosis), your head will be brought down. Your gaze will be pulled downward, as well. But to be able to see what's in front of you, you'll likely feel the need to lift up your head. This action "kinks" the back of the neck, shortening the muscles that extend from the bottom of your skull to the bottom of your cervical spine. Although you can see what you need to, your head and neck are no longer in alignment with the rest of your spinal column. This forward head posture and "kinking" may lead to neck strain, sprain and/or pain. Forward head posture is considered to be the most common postural deformity, affecting between 66% and 90% of the population (https://backintelligence.com/how-to-fix-forward-head-posture/).
Society use of technology is not the only reason why many are suffering from FHS. We are a forward moving society. When we stand, when we walk, we walk with our head first; jutting out our chin as we stride. How we sit also impacts our spine; whether we are at work in front of a computer, or sitting on the couch reading a book, how we sit while we do these activities has long term effects. I had not thought about it until I began to research further that even the pillow we use can impact our alignment. The strength of, or lack there of, of our neck and upper back muscles, even how we breath (short fast breaths bring tension to our chest which causes us to cave in our front bodies). How do I know if I have Forward Head Syndrome? Stand with your back to the wall, bum is touching the wall and shoulder blades are also touching the wall. Now, does your head also touch the wall? If not, how far away from the wall is it? Measure with a ruler.
The muscles that makeup our back side body from the base of our skull to our lower back are affected. These would include:
Diagram: https://bakerchiropractic.org/pain-relief/pain-from-forward-head-posture/ |
| Forward Head Syndrome |
 |
| Effected Muscles |
- Suboccipitals (base of skull)
- Sternocleidomastoid (side & front of neck)
- Upper trapexuis (upper back)
- Pectoralis minor & major (chest muscles)
- Levator scapulae (neck down to shoulder blade)
- Subscapularis (shoulder blade area)
- Latissimus dorsi (mid to lower back)
One can work to reduce the effects of this syndrome by doing a variety of exercises which focus on the neck and the upper back. In her article, "Forward Head Posture Exercises," Anne Asher CPT, gives the reader three different exercises that help with this syndrome. Analyze the diagram above as you complete each exercise understanding why each is being completed:
 |
| Rhomboids |
1. Cervical Retraction. To retract means to bring back. In this case its meaning is to bring the head back in line with the neck/cervical spine.
2. Let's strengthen the rhomboid muscles, which will help strengthen the upper back. As you tip your head forward it puts strain on the rhomboid muscles causing them to become long & overstretched.
3. Our Pectoral muscles/the front of our upper body can become very tight due to Head Forward Syndrome. As we lean forward our chest begins to cave in.
Yoga too brings in a variety of pre-yoga exercises and asanas which can aid in strengthening the upper back and relaxing the neck & front body. The following sequence was designed, in part, by Andrea & myself.
- Love to hear from you. Thanks: DebraBallMindYoga Facebook Page
Resources:
Sequence designed with the practice of Andrea, Marrielle, & Me.
Definition: https://www.verywellhealth.com/neck-exercise-for-forward-head-posture-296838
Diagram: https://footballmuscles.weebly.com/upper-body.html
Cartoon for facebook post: https://blog.udemy.com/forward-head-posture/
McQuilkie, Shaina Dr., & Turetsky, Leon H"ow to Fix Forward Head Posture: 5 Exercises", 3/14/19
Posture Diagram: http://beverlyhillsbreastandbodyinstitute.com/forward-head-posture-fix-review-the-one-stop-remedy-to-taking-care-of-text-neck-forever-part-1/
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