With school around the corner, one of the more common issues we see at Optimal Health Family Chiropractic & Wellness Center is Forward Head Posture (FHP) – especially in school-aged children.
In our age of smartphones, tablets, video games, lack of physical activity, heavy backpacks and hours spent sitting; our children are becoming increasingly more prone to Forward Head Posture.
When the spine is misaligned due to poor posture and extension of the neck, children can become more susceptible to headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, dizziness, TMJ syndrome, pinched nerves and lower back pain just to name a few.
Ideally, the head should sit directly on the neck and shoulders, like a golf ball sits on a tee. The weight of the head is more like a bowling ball than a golf ball, so holding it forward, out of alignment, puts a strain on your neck and upper back muscles. When spinal tissues are subject to a significant load for a sustained period of time, they deform and undergo remodeling changes that could become permanent. This is why it takes time to correct FHP. In addition, FHP has been shown to flatten the normal neck curve, resulting in disc compression, damage and early arthritis.
What Can You Do?
The first step in correction is to be examined by a chiropractor to identify the exact measurements of the FHP. Once that is established, a specific corrective care program for FHP is given, including adjustments and specific exercises. The chiropractor will point out poor ergonomics and situations that pre-dispose you to FHP and give you practical solutions.
Schedule your complementary 15 minute FHP Exam by e-mailing or calling us at optimalhealthfamilychiro@rogers.com 613-260-8828