Poor posture is common during adolescence beginning the process of spinal imbalance and early degeneration. Proper education and implementation can really help ,at any age, to reverse the process of spinal curves caused by bad posture.
X-rays show while on mobile phones
The weight of the head takes up 1/7 of the body weight; therefore, maintaining a still position with the head leaning forward exerts 3.6 times more force than is required to maintain the same position with straight standing posture.
Forward head posture (FHP) is the structural forward positioning of the head away from the centerline of the body, where lower cervical vertebrae are bent and upper cervical vertebrae are extended, and the weight of the head supported by the neck is increased. The bending moment of the head applies pressure on muscles and joints around the cervical vertebra, in addition to active myofascial trigger points of the suboccipital muscle which may induce tension type headaches, neck pain and cervical headaches, while reducing the mobility of the neck.
As a compensatory action for the postural deformity of FHP, severe extension arises between the upper cervical joint and atlanto-occipital joint, and the upper cervical vertebrae relatively protrude forward while the face directs upwards). Change in the curvature of the neck bone causes upper-crossed syndrome due to an imbalance in muscular pattern, which subsequently leads to rounded shoulder posture (RSP). Rounded shoulder is a protrusion of the acromion of the shoulder joint relative to the centerline of gravity of the body, causing stooped posture along with elevation, protraction, and downward rotation of the scapula, and an increased angle between the lower neck bone and upper spine.
Therefore, FHP that causes round shoulder and neck pain due to an imbalance between the curvature of the spine and muscles that are attached to the neck bone, is correlated with problems in the neck bone. While several interventional studies are underway to improve FHP, research on the correlation between round shoulder and neck pain remains incomplete. Hence, the present study aimed to specifically examine the correlation between RSP, neck pain and degree of FHP using objective data.
The Effect of The Forward Head Posture on Postural Balance in Long Time Computer Based Worker
Jung-Ho Kang, M.D., Rae-Young Park, M.D., Su-Jin Lee, M.D., Ja-Young Kim, M.D., Seo-Ra Yoon, M.D.,corresponding author and Kwang-Ik Jung, M.D.
