Forward Head Posture (FHP): The New Epidemic
BIOMECHANICS
By Alexander Ilie, Ph.D.
Degenerative cervical spine disorders will affect up to two-thirds of the population in their lifetime. What is scarier is that the majority will have an average of two affected intervertebral discs or more by the age of 54. Why is all this happening, and what is accelerating the development of cervical spine conditions? For this question, we have a single answer, which is forward head posture (FHP).1
With texting becoming the most common form of communicating and a lot of people working in front of a screen, there is no surprise that nowadays, the forward head posture has become an epidemic.2 By the age of 35, more than six out of ten people will be diagnosed with forward head posture and rounded shoulder attitude by a chiropractor or physical therapist. Symptoms of this condition include muscle tension, multiple trigger points (especially on the upper trapezius, rhomboid and scalene muscles), neck stiffness, and cervicogenic headaches3
Forward head posture, also known as iHunch or iPosture, is the most common spinal problem that a chiropractor or physical therapist will first see when a patient enters the room. Let’s understand more about it, which are the leading factors that lead to this condition, but more importantly, what are the solutions available to mitigate the effects.
Not that long ago, FHP was a condition associated with certain jobs: dentists, surgeons, and hairdressers. In the past decade, however, due to the explosive growth of smartphones, laptops, and tablets, the number of people suffering from it has increased dramatically.
Because screens do not separate from devices, it is impossible to set them up ergonomically correct. Users are usually hunching to operate them, often for many hours a day without break.
When you hunch, the load on your neck increases; instead of just supporting the weight of your head (10-12 lbs.), your neck has to deal with 40 to 60 lbs., depending on how much you tilt your head forward. Unfortunately, the common position when using smartphones is with your neck tilted forward between 40 and 60 degrees, and that is the equivalent of a 3-year-old child sitting on your shoulders and putting pressure on your neck (40 to 60 lbs.) each time you send a text or just scroll on social media.4
Unfortunately, as every single part of your body is linked, you’ll not only feel pain in your neck, but probably also in your head, arms, chest and back. You won’t experience this spontaneously, but rather over a period of time.
If all of the above didn’t convince you to take a closer look at your posture and fix it, perhaps you need to know how a person with FHP is perceived by others, according to psychologists: submissive with low self-confidence. This is what your body language will express. Moreover, the DOSE, which is the internal biochemistry of happiness, is almost blocked in this posture.5
Dopamine - Oxytocin
Serotonin - Endorphin
This is another perspective on why depression has been increasing recently. Our brains are in strong relation with our bodies, and vice versa. It is not by chance that NLP specialists like Tony Robbins ask people to jump and raise their arms to help them get in the right state of mind.
This is why good posture is related to a good vibe, while FHP and rounded shoulders are related to low energy and unhappiness.6
From my point of view, all the smartphone companies should add a guideline in the user manual detailing how to use the smartphone from a biomechanical perspective and the risks posed by an incorrect manner of use. This would definitely help reduce the massive number of people who develop FHP and cervical disorders.
In other words, it’s in our hands to take a stand and stop the FHP epidemic. With all the above in mind, it’s not that difficult to do it. Here are some simple steps to improve yourself from all points of view:
Take a look in the mirror, analyze your posture, and try to correct it. Remember: keep your head straight above your chest, hips, and feet, chest up and forward, abdomen in and flat, back curves not exaggerated.
When you look at your phone, keep your head in a neutral position. Adjust your phone to your face, by raising the phone and not the other way around!
When you are in front of a computer, adjust the screen at your eye level or slightly below.
Remember, every 50 minutes you should stand up and take a few steps, tilting your head and stretching your neck in all the ways you can.
Do some simple stretching exercises for your neck muscles each day.
Make an appointment with a chiropractor at least twice a year to check your posture and do some adjustments if necessary. This will make a huge difference long-term.
Use devices to help relax your neck muscles.
Talk to your chiropractor or physical therapist about your pillow in order to have a proper posture when you sleep.
References
1. Radiologic Assessment of Forward Head Posture and Its Relation
to Myofascial Pain Syndrome, PMC4280379, Published online 2014 Dec 24
2. A large scale study of text-messaging use, January 2010, DOI: 10.1145/1851600.1851638SourceDBLP, Conference: Proceedings
of the 12th Conference on Human-Computer Interaction with Mobile Devices and Services, Mobile HC12010, Lisbon, Portugal, September 7-10, 2010
3. Feier R., Kyvik K.O., Hartvigsen J. The prevalence of neck pain in the world population: a systematic critical review of the literature. Eur Spine J. 2006;15:834-848.
4. Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head. Hansraj KK PMID-.25393825
5. Four Chemicals That Activate Happiness, and How to Gamify Them, 30 October 2017, Clark Buckner
6. Ohio State University. “Body Posture Affects Confidence In Your Own Thoughts, Study Finds.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 October 2009. www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2009/10/091005111627. htm
Alexander llie (Dr. Fix) is a doctor in physical therapy (PhD). He graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in physical therapy from the National University of Bucharest. He is the founder of NeckFix and has earned international recognition in computerized dynamometry. He is recognized as one of the leading Biodex trainers in Europe. He's been practicing physical therapy for more than ten years. His research focus is on muscle ration, neuro-systems and proprioception.
