How to Treat Forward Head Posture

Good posture is essential to the overall health of your spine. Bad posture habits like slouching and craning your neck may feel fine in the moment, but over time these habits can lead to back pain and other spinal issues. Forward head posture is a common bad habit posture that can cause back and neck pain. In this article, we will define forward head posture, and walk you through some good habits for correction.

What is Forward Head Posture?

Forward head posture is a term used to describe when a person’s head cranes forward too much. Ideally, you want your head to align with the rest of your spine, with a slight bent forward. But sometimes, when a patient has kyphosis for example, the head tilts forward too much and puts excess pressure on the spine. In turn, this can cause pain, numbness, and mobility issues.

Correcting Forward Head Posture

Fixing forward head posture typically requires only a few minor lifestyle changes. Here are a few ways you can combat neck pain from forward head posture:

• Ergonomics. When sitting in a chair, and/or using a computer, make sure your feet rest flat on the floor, and you don’t have to crane your neck to see the screen.

• Move Around. If your work requires you to sit for extended periods of time. Get up and take a short walk and stretch every hour.

• Stretches & Exercises. Try various neck stretches and exercises on a daily or weekly basis.

Forward head posture itself typically does not require any medical treatment. However, having bad posture can lead to pain in your neck and back, as well as other symptoms. If you are experiencing neck or back pain, make an appointment with a spine doctor to diagnose the cause of your pain and talk about treatment options. If your back pain stems from a kyphosis, scoliosis, bulging disc, spinal stenosis, or degenerative discs, a minimally invasive keyhole surgical procedure may be your best course of treatment. Inspired Spine surgeries have been designed to allow patients to return to their homes and work as soon as possible after the procedure. Our Surgeries have the shortest operating times, and fastest recovery periods of any procedure in the industry. Contact us today to learn more about Inspired Spine surgeries.