The Dangers of Forward Head Posture

A friend of mine is absolutely addicted to her iphone. She starts each day by checking her emails on it. Anytime she gets lost she’s quickly bent over her phone looking up directions. She texts constantly and is always downloading and trying out new applications for the phone. Now my friend is complaining of neck pain, headaches, and shoulder tightness- common side effects of forward head posture.

Holding the head further forward than is natural is becoming more and more common with technologies like cell phones, hand held video games, ipods, etc. This forward head posture puts a huge strain on the spine, increasing the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds for every inch of forward head posture.

Aside from muscle strain in the neck and shoulders, this type of posture can lead to disc herniation or a pinched nerve. It also puts more strain on your respiratory system. Shortness of breath can lead to bigger problems such as heart or blood vascular disease. The strain on the cervical spine also slows the creation of your body’s pain-controlling chemicals (endorphins) making the pain and discomfort even more intense.

It’s difficult with society’s growing reliance on hand-held technologies that only emphasize forward head posture. But don’t worry- you don’t have to get rid of your iphone just yet. Being more aware of the dangers and prevalence of forward head posture means you can help to avoid it. Keep your posture in mind, even while checking your cell phone, and you can avoid forward head posture and the health problems that accompany it.

Always keeping your neck posture in mind will be the biggest help but I often recommend a home neck traction unit to correct spinal alignment too.  A good 1st step is to start using our traction pillow for sleeping.


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Could Your Cell Phone Be The Cause Of Your Neck Pain?

It might seem crazy, but as technology grows, so does the chance to injure yourself. More and more new gadgets are coming out each month, whether it’s the new smart phone, an ipad, portable video games like Nintendo DS, or e-readers like the Kindle. As the world gets more connected, we have to take a look at what the downside of all this progress in technology has on our bodies.

While using this variety of new hand-held technologies, take a look at your body’s position. For example, imagine the last time you were texting someone on your cell phone. Your head was bent forward to look at the screen, and naturally your shoulders rolled forward as well. Rolled shoulders can lead to a concave chest or pelvic tuck, which can contribute to pain over time.

So next time you use your cell phone, or watching a movie on your ipad, or are reading your Kindle, or playing on a Nintendo DS- try to remember your posture! By repeating this forward head posture day after day you can cause serious problems. So sit up straight, keep your shoulders back, and if at all possible hold your phone or other hand-held device closer to eye-level to avoid putting that strain on your neck.


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief. Bookmark this on Delicious Stumble It!

Forward Neck Posture And How It Will Work Its Way Down The Spine…

One of the most common postural and spinal misalignments we see these days is forward head posture. This is when the head and neck are shifted forward from the center of gravity.

We’ve talked at length about forward head posture and how it straightens the normal cervical curve as well as how it can cause neck and shoulder pain, muscle pain, as well as other symptoms like headaches, numbness and tingling in the arms or hands, and more …

Today, however, our focus is going to be on other postures that are often linked with forward head and neck as well as the issues they create.

The first is rolled shoulders. This is when your shoulders roll inward. Similar to your head being forward, your shoulders being forward also pulls and tenses the muscles of the lower neck and upper back. This can often create pain in these areas as well as muscle spasm and trigger points.

What then starts to take place what happens to your mid-back spine (thoracic or dorsal spine)?

Your thoracic spine often gets hunched at the top because of the pull on your neck and shoulders and these muscles trying to balance the body.

As it works further into you lower body, it often causes low back extension. This happens because when our head goes forward, our body automatically tries to keep your eyes even with the horizon.

To do this, most often people with this posture tend to extend at their low back. This can now cause low back pain on top of your already sore neck.


Visit Arc4life.com for your online selection of cervical support neck pillows, orthopedic pain relief products and Home traction units. Products for pain relief.


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