Volume 13 Issue 1 » 87
The area where the neck and cranium
meet is a very busy place, and there should
be a space of about 6.5 plus or minus 2.5
mm between the base of the skull and the
second vertebra, or spinous process of C2.
When this space is reduced to 4 mm or
less, the nerves and blood vessels in that
space can be mechanically compressed.
I’ll stop there. I’m hoping it is clear that
forward-head posture has a significant
impact on the whole body, and that doing
what is needed to bring the head back into
its proper position can greatly improve pain
syndromes and body function.
How far forward is your head? You can
figure this out with a ruler and a plumb
line - a piece of string with a key tied to
the end - and a friend. Stand up, and put
the ruler lightly in the sternoclavicular
notch, the soft gushy V right above your
breast bone at the bottom of your neck.
Hold the string on the front of your cheek
right on the bone, letting the plumb line
hang, and have your friend read off the
ruler how far forward your head is.
When the back of the skull and the top
vertebrae (OA joint) get too close together
there is potential for compressing the
vertebral artery and vein as they exit the
transverse foramen of the top vertebrae to
make their way into the cranium. Impaired
blood flow into and drainage from the
brain is never a good thing. This lack of
space has been shown to be associated
with higher incidence of vertigo, possibly
due to a compromised vertebral artery. If
you notice you always get dizzy when you
look up at the ceiling or at airplanes in the
sky, this is a warning sign that those blood
vessels may be quite compromised. Do
something to restore a better head position
and that might improve the situation
dramatically.
Often awareness of body position can help,
particularly when seated. Making sure
your work environment is ergonomically
correct is critically important. The chair
needs to be raised so that you can sit tall on
the sit bones, shoulders resting on the ribs,
elbows at 90 degrees. The monitor should
be in front of your eyes, so the head does
not need to be tilted down to view it. Your
feet should be resting on something that
allows your ankles, knees and hips to be at
90 degrees.
Forward-head posture can create
significant problems within the head, too.
Try sticking your head further forward,
keeping your face looking straight ahead.
Can you feel a stretch in the neck under
your jaw? As the head goes forward, the
jaw is often pulled back, which may alter
your bite, leading to TMJ problems.
A good orthopaedic assessment can be
helpful to reduce forward-head posture.
Sometimes it can be as simple as getting
used to being in a different position:
bringing the pelvis back over the legs,
which would straighten the ribcage
providing an upright platform for your
head.
The hyoid bone in the front of the throat
will be pulled up in forward-head posture,
which may contribute to snoring and
possibly even sleep apnea.
VRENI GURD
Most people would need a personalized
stretching and strengthening program
to bring the body back into alignment.
For example, tight muscles at the pelvis
will definitely impact head position, and
which muscles need to be stretched and
strengthened is a very individual thing. In
others, the upper back is stuck in too much
curve, and the spinal segments would need
to be mobilized. The spinal and the back
extensors would need to be strengthened.
A simple stretch is to lie on the floor or in
the middle of the bed on your back - use
a small pillow if you need one - and reach
your arms straight out to the side, slowly
raising them up towards your head like
a snow angel. When you start to feel a
stretch, wait until the stretch dissipates. Do
this daily. The goal is to have your upper
arms resting on the floor comfortably next
to your ears without feeling any stretch at
all.
People with too much upper back
roundness would probably also need
stretching of the bac k of the neck and
strengthening of the deep front neck
muscles, the longus colli and longus
capitus. These neck muscles are tricky to
strengthen without instruction, so seek out
a CHEK Practitioner or physical therapist
to help you.
w a s t h e t o p g r a d u a t i n g s t u d e n t i n P H E f r o m t h e Un i v e r s i t y o f To r o n t o
in 1992, and is continually furthering her education in exercise, nutrition and
h e a l t h . A s a C . H . E . K . 3 p r a c t i t i o n e r a n d h o l i s t i c l i f e s t y l e c o n s u l t a n t , Vr e n i ’ s c u r r e n t
Va n c o u v e r p r a c t i c e i n v o l v e s h e l p i n g c l i e n t s f e e l b e t t e r t h r o u g h p o s t u r e c o r r e c t i o n ,
corrective exercise, metabolic typing, and nutrition and lifestyle counseling.
[email protected]
604-256-3463
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