How's Your Head Posture?
By Sara Butler
At the end of the day, are you so exhausted when you walk through your door that you’re ready to just lay down? Do you experience pain in your neck? Frequent headaches? If you answered yes, then your neck posture may be to blame.
What About Head Posture?
Think about how much time you spend sitting, perhaps looking slightly down at a computer screen or a handheld device each day. Chances are, in this day and age, it adds up to a lot of time. Hunching over your desk is also the course of a lot of neck issues -- and that’s because it disturbs proper head posture.
When your head is correctly positioned, then your ears are centered right over your shoulders. If you notice your ears aren’t in line with your shoulders but slightly forward, then you are suffering from forward head posture. Every inch that your head is forward, you’re placing more weight on your upper back, shoulders, and neck than is natural. This extra weight means your muscles have to work harder to keep you upright and after a while, you may begin to have symptoms from this positioning.
Common symptoms of forward head posture are:
- Neck pain or discomfort
- Reduction in lung capacity
- Headaches
- Increased blood pressure
What You Can Do
To correct forward head posture there are a few things you can do. You should:
- Move around often – If you work at a desk or on a computer or other electronic device, get up at least once an hour over the course of the day to break your posture
- Limit screen time – You should limit the amount of time you spend watching television, playing video games, and using handheld devices; this goes for children too
- Work on your posture – The chiropractors at The Joint can work with you to correct your posture with stretches and exercises; they will also give you tips on how to improve your posture throughout the day
- Get chiropractic adjustments – Chiropractic care is an effective and natural way to reverse the effects of forward head posture; it can help you to prevent problems down the road as well as reduce pain and discomfort
- Get a good pillow – You should make sure you sleep on a pillow that supports your neck at night and doesn’t hold your head up above your body, but in line with the rest of you
If you need help with your posture, then discuss it with the chiropractors at The Joint.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Worth, Tex.