The Effects of Poor Neck Posture
By Sara Butler
When you hear people discussing poor posture your mind probably flashes to somebody standing with their shoulders hunched forward and their backs rounded – Quasimodo style. Poor posture doesn’t just impact the back, though; you can have poor posture in your neck and that can be a big problem. Here is what you should know about neck posture and how your chiropractor can help!
Why Poor Neck Posture Hurts
When you practice poor neck posture you’re putting your head in something called a forward head position. This is one of the leading causes of shoulder tension, head and neck tension, and pain. This kind of posture can be the result of many different things. It can be due to an injury that weakened neck muscles, the position you sleep in or the way you hold your neck when you’re sitting at a desk or using your smartphone.
The problem with forward head posture is that for every inch your head sits forward, you’re putting about 10 pounds more pressure on your neck. That means if your neck is sitting forward just a couple of inches more than it should be you’re adding at least 20 pounds of pressure to your neck. When you think about it this way, you can probably understand why this becomes a problem leading to pain and discomfort.
Poor neck posture in the long term can lead to:
- Muscle strain
- Disc herniation
- Pinched nerves
- Neck instability
- Arthritis
- Degenerative joint disease
- Spondylosis of the neck
- Headaches
- Low back pain
Aside from all of these problems, poor neck posture can also impact your ability to breathe normally, impact your mood, blood pressure, and even your pulse! That’s a lot of ammunition you can use to motivate yourself to correct your poor neck posture!
Solutions
Being aware of the problem is the first step to fixing it. Go to your chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic and get an evaluation of your neck posture. They can help you determine what the problem is and what can be done to fix it. Quite often you will be prescribed a program of neck stretches and exercises to help you regain control of your neck muscles. That will be combined with hands-on adjustments to correct the alignment of the bones in your neck and take the pressure off the ligaments and muscles caused by poor posture.
Your chiropractor can also recommend ergonomic solutions for your workstation to reduce your need to tilt your head forward. Putting your computer monitor at eye level is the best place to start.
Do you have questions about neck posture and the ways in which you can improve yours? Then talk about your concerns with your chiropractor the next time you’re at The Joint!