Forward head posture (FHP) is a condition in which the head is positioned too far forward relative to the spine. Forward head posture can result from poor posture, stress, and genetics. If you have forward head posture, it may cause neck aches, headaches, and shoulder problems
. You might also experience pain or numbness in your upper body and arms due to nerve compression caused by FHP. Luckily, many different treatment options are available for correcting this condition—including chiropractic care!
This article will explore what causes FHP and how a chiropractor can help correct it. We’ll also discuss common therapies specialists use when treating patients with incorrect postures, like forward head posture.
How a chiropractor can help
A chiropractor can use different treatments to help reverse or reduce the effects of forward head posture.
Chiropractors are trained in spinal decompression therapy, which relieves pressure on the nerve roots and discs at the base of your neck. This can help reduce pain associated with forward head posture and improve your posture over time.
Chiropractors also prescribe corrective exercises that you can do at home or while working out at a gym. These exercises strengthen your back muscles and help improve your strength, flexibility, and balance so that you won’t be as likely to slump as often in future years. They may also recommend core exercises such as planks for lower back pain related to forward head posture.
A combination treatment program might include spinal decompression therapy and corrective exercise sessions from an experienced professional (such as yours truly!), depending on what works best for each patient’s needs! In addition to massage therapy, other treatments may benefit people suffering from this condition.
For example, they relieve tension knots caused by compressing muscles into tight bundles due to poor posture habits, such as leaning forward when sitting all day without taking breaks. Massage therapy promotes relaxation throughout the body by releasing tension knots caused by compressing muscles into tight bundles due to poor posture habits.
Strengthening and stretching the muscles to correct FHP
Forward head posture can be corrected by strengthening and stretching the muscles in the back of the neck. These muscles are very important for supporting your head, so it is important to stretch them regularly. In addition, stretching exercises can help you avoid or reverse forward head posture. They should be done daily as part of an exercise routine that also targets other areas of tension in your body, such as your back and shoulders. Some examples of exercises are:
- Chin tucks—This exercise requires you to put a towel or belt around your forehead, then pull it toward you while keeping your chin tucked into your chest for about 30 seconds. Repeat this 5 times whenever possible throughout the day.
- Neck rolls—This exercise requires you to place both hands behind one ear with fingers interlaced (one hand on top). Then slowly rotate your head in circles clockwise first and then counterclockwise several times until warmed up before moving on to another set of movements (usually 3 sets total).
Spinal decompression therapy to help reverse forward head posture.
Decompression therapy involves using a special table that can be adjusted to the patient’s height. The patient lies on their back on the table and is secured with a strap. The chiropractor then uses their hands to manipulate the upper body, which moves into an upright position as though it were standing up. This approach helps relieve pressure from gravity on your spine and corrects forward head posture in many cases.
The chiropractor may also recommend exercises you can do at home to help improve your posture, such as stretching exercises or neck rolls that relieve tension in your neck and shoulders. In severe cases of forward head posture, surgery may be recommended by your doctor if other treatments do not work for you.*
Test / Diagnosis
When you visit a chiropractor for help with your forward head posture, you will probably undergo an examination and X-ray. The chiropractor will examine how your body moves, including how your ribs and spine move relative to each other. They may also test the strength of certain muscles in the neck area.
If the chiropractor suspects that something else could be causing your forward head posture, they might recommend other diagnostic tests such as:
- A full-body MRI scan (to check for tumours or other abnormalities)
- An electromyography test (to check for damage to muscles)
Chiropractors can help reverse forward head posture
Chiropractors are medical professionals with specialized training in the alignment of the spine and other joints. They often work alongside traditional doctors to help patients with various conditions, including neck and back pain.
Most people know that chiropractic adjustments can be used to treat these types of problems, but they may not realize that they can also be effective at relieving forward head posture. Chiropractic treatments should be considered an alternative or complementary treatment option rather than a replacement for traditional medical care; however, they can provide significant benefits when combined with conventional therapies such as physical therapy or exercise programs.
The goal of chiropractic treatment is to relieve pain and correct underlying causes of poor posture over time through gentle adjustments that encourage better alignment in your body’s joints and muscles. This helps reduce stress on your muscles, reducing tension on nerves and improving overall function throughout the musculoskeletal system (including organs).
Corrective exercises for forward head posture.
In some cases, a chiropractor may recommend corrective exercises for forward head posture. These exercises can help strengthen the muscles that pull on your neck and allow you to maintain better posture. However, it’s important to do these correctly; otherwise, they may worsen your symptoms. Corrective exercises include:
- Tilt your head back, so your chin points toward the ceiling (but don’t force this). Hold for about 10 seconds and relax. Repeat three times per day.
- Place one hand behind your head with fingers interlocked and gently pull on the back of your head until you feel a stretch in front of it. You should be able to feel this along both sides of the upper spine where it meets at C7/T1 (the seventh cervical vertebrae or first thoracic vertebrae). Hold this position for five seconds before relaxing it again; repeat four times per day.”
Many ways a chiropractor can help
There are many ways for a chiropractor to treat incorrect postures like forward head posture. One of the most effective methods is spinal decompression therapy, which can help patients with forward head posture by lowering the pressure on the spine and relieving pinched nerves and compressed discs.
Chiropractic care involves much more than just the treatment of back problems; chiropractors are trained to treat a wide variety of conditions that affect all parts of your body, including headaches, neck pain and even carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrists and hands. They have specific training in the spine and its functions, so they know exactly how to correct any spinal misalignment or strain on your muscles and joints that may be causing you pain.
Spinal decompression therapy is one tool that chiropractors use when treating patients with improper posture and other health issues related to poor alignment of their spines due to injury or accident, such as whiplash injuries sustained during car accidents (whiplash).
In addition to providing immediate relief, this therapy also strengthens muscles around joints to prevent future complications as well as prevent future complications. As a result, muscles are not overworked while compensating for misalignment issues caused by poor posture habits, such as sitting at a computer all day without taking breaks to stretch out tired legs and arms.
As you can see, there are many ways for a chiropractor to treat forward head posture. Contact one today if you’re worried about your posture and want to know more about what a chiropractor can do. The sooner you start treatment, the better off you will be!
