Neck pain is one of the most irritating problems that limit an individual’s ability to perform everyday tasks with ease. Neck pain and stiffness can result from several different conditions, sudden trauma, overuse injuries, and poor posture.
In most cases, neck pain is not a severe condition, and neck pain relief occurs with simple treatments within few days. But in some cases, neck pain requires physical therapy treatment and care. One such issue is the neck pain resulted from poor posture.
If you have been experiencing neck pain that continues for more than a week, physical therapists can find the underlying condition and design a personalized treatment plan to promote neck pain relief.
What if the cause of your neck pain is your bad posture? Can improving posture promote neck pain relief? If yes, what can you do to improve posture? This article speaks about the answers to these questions.
What is a Poor Posture?
Poor posture is an unnatural position of the spine that makes the joints, muscles, and vertebrae obtain stressful positions, thus building up extra pressure after prolonged poor posture.
Among the different types of poor postures, forward head posture is the one that causes pain in the neck. In relation to the neck, with the chest open and shoulders back, the ears should be positioned directly above the shoulders. This neutral position minimizes stress on the neck as the head’s weight is naturally balanced on the cervical spine.
The forward head posture that causes neck pain and stiffness leads to the following problems.
1) Increased Pressure on the Neck
The neck must support an increasing amount of weight to the head when held in a forward posture. For every inch the head is held in the forward posture, an additional ten pounds of weight is felt on the neck, thus leading to neck pain.
2) Muscle Overload Issue
Forward head posture causes a gravity pull. Hence, some muscles in the neck and upper back strain continuously to counteract this gravity pull, thus making them more sensitive to painful strains and spasms.
3) Hyperflexion and Hyperextension
As the vertebrae tilt too far forward, the lower neck goes into a hyperflexion state, and as the brain automatically keeps the head up so the eyes can look straight ahead, the upper neck goes into a hyperextension state.
This adjustment of the neck’s curve makes the spinal canal distance extend from the base of the skull to the bottom of the neck, thus causing the spinal cord and nearby nerve roots to become slightly stretched.
4) Hunched Upper Back
Forward head posture leads to a rounded upper back and forward shoulders, leading to severe pain in the neck, upper back, and shoulders.
5) Chronic health problems
Other chronic effects of the forward head posture include headaches, restricted breathing, sleep apnea, muscle imbalance problems that cause weak and tightened muscles, disc bulging disease, and reduced range of motion in the neck and shoulders.
How to Improve Forward Head Posture?
Forward head posture can be corrected through some lifestyle changes. Read below for some tips to improve posture.
1) Exercises
Specific exercises, when performed regularly, can improve posture and correct forward head posture. Exercise like chin tucks can keep the head aligned above the spine rather than moving into the forward head posture. To perform this exercise, sit upright, look straight, and place a finger on the chin. Pull the head back until a good stretch is felt, and hold the stretch for five seconds. This exercise can help improve the function of the neck and enhance its strength and flexibility.
A tightened chest can also lead to a forward head posture. Hence, one can perform chest stretches to keep the shoulders and head in an improved posture. To accomplish this stretch, place the forearms against each wall as you stand in a doorway. Keeping your elbows slightly below the shoulder level, lean forward until you feel a stretch in your chest and hold this stretch for a minute.
2) Try a Cervical Pillow
A cervical pillow is designed in such a way that the center of the pillow is curved inward. It supports the neck and head to stay in a neutral position and keeps the neck in a slight hyperextension position while sleeping. If you don’t have a cervical pillow, you can use a rolled towel under the neck to get the same effects.
3) Ergonomic Workplace
Evaluate your workplace environment and set it up ergonomically to encourage good posture. As of now, most of us are working from home and so try to invest in the right chairs and desks to avoid posture problems.
Adjust your computer monitor by placing it directly in front of you and behind your keyboard. Ensure that the top of the screen is positioned slightly below your eye level. Your mouse should fit in your hand and place it on the same surface as your keyboard.
4) Physical Therapy
Physical therapists can suggest specific exercises to help improve flexibility, strength, and posture. They also help minimize pain through pain-relieving modalities like dry needling and electrotherapy. Other physical therapy techniques like mobilization, manual therapy, and soft tissue massage can also improve neck flexibility and promote neck pain relief.
Final Thoughts
Forward head posture is one of the most common poor postural habits that almost every individual experiences due to their busy schedule. Hence, one need not feel guilty about this and should regularly practice the above-said lifestyle changes to improve posture.
