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Forward Head Posture- Relief and Correction

Writer's picture: SujathaSujatha

Forward head posture results when the head habitually tilts forward relative to the shoulders.

It often goes hand-in-hand with ‘rounded shoulders’ (excessive upper back curvature).

Forward head posture is often a starting point for what is now known as 'Text-neck syndrome'*





When the vertebral column has its natural healthy curvature, our upper body muscles optimally balance those in our lower body when we stand, bend, walk or move. With a head forward posture, we’re prone to upper body & neck pain, constricted breathing, shoulder pain, headaches among other symptoms.




Causes of FHP and some effects-


Many day-to-day activities pull us forward. Anytime we lean/ curl our upper body for washing long hair, reading a book, cleaning, sitting at a desk, texting or typing etc. we remain flexed forward for some length of time. But many of us continue with this leaning pattern even at rest and the body doesn’t get a chance to undo this.


Overtime, this can cause

- Pain/ tightness/ soreness in the muscles of the upper back and neck

- Neurological problems

- Degenerative changes in the spine

- Disc problems

- Restricted breathing- the chest caves in as the shoulders are chronically rounded

- Shallow breathing aka ‘Email apnea’ which causes a stress-response reaction*


Muscles involved:


In optimal posture, support for the head comes through the bones of the vertebral column. In Forward head posture, the muscles of upper back and neck are overloaded with providing support. Commonly, we see that the muscles in the front of the neck (scalenes and sternocleidomastoid) and the upper chest (pec minor) are tight, pulling the head forward.


On the back, the levator scapulae, upper trapezius and sub-occipitals get shortened and it is common to find trigger points, knots and / or adhesions here.

With rounded shoulders, the rhomboids are usually overstretched and thereby sore.


Exercise and Bodywork to help:


Tucking the chin

In Yoga asana practice, at the very beginning (Standing in samasthitihi or in tadasana) we are taught to tuck the chin in slightly as we lengthen through spine for head-over-heart-over pelvis alignment. At the musculoskeletal level, this allows the strength and stability to come through the joints and also opens up the muscles of the neck and base of the head.

Chin tucks can also be practiced on their own as a starting point to correct FHP.


The ‘W’

- Standing in neutral position, bend both arms at your sides, palms facing forward so you look like a ‘W’. Keeping your neck long and gently draw your shoulder blades towards one another and down (Imagine you are sliding them into your back pockets)


The ‘Doorway Chest stretch’

This is another great exercise to open and lengthen the muscles of the upper chest and front of the neck. It works well with any doorway that isn’t too wide.

Stand in the doorway in a ‘stride’ stance. Bend arms 90 degrees at the elbow, placing forearms on the sides of the doorway. Make sure elbows are at, or slightly below shoulder level. Slowly pull your chest forward. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Do about 3x 5 repetitions a time. You can gradually increase the hold to 60 seconds each side.


Bodywork is a boon for those of us suffering from postural issues and other musculoskeletal injuries of the digital age. Proper identification of the extent of postural imbalance, points of tension, muscle knots help treat the root of the pain.

Massage breaks the pain cycle, improves posture due to better body awareness and reduces inflammation.

I like to work by employing various ‘pin and stretch’ techniques at trigger points to bring fresh circulation to tight muscles and relieve chronic tension. Deep tissue techniques to lengthen shortened muscles, strengthening opposing muscles that are overstretched/ weak, specific exercises for strengthening and self-care between sessions and regular movement are wonderful at alleviating pain and fostering healthy posture in the long run.


* Text-neck is a repetitive stress injury that reverses the natural healthy curvature of the cervical spine, weakens and tightens the muscles of the neck and upper back and may lead to degenerative changes in the spine.

* ‘Email apnea’ is a neologism coined to describe the shallow breathing or breath-holding that we unconsciously slip into when we’re in front of a screen doing emails/ texts.

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