Forward Head Posture (FHP) is where the position of the head is in front of the mid line of the torso. Show
(It is also referred to as Nerd Neck, Poked Head, Forward Neck Posture and Text Neck.) Ideally – the ear canal should be aligned with the mid line of the torso. It involves a combination of lower neck flexion and upper neck extension. This results in the flattening or loss of the natural curve in the lower Cervical spine. What causes Forward head posture?It’s all about your postural habits. Think about how you sit when you you use computer, mobile phone, driving your car etc: Are you sitting up tall?…. Or are you letting your head poke forward? The body will get used to the positions that you choose to place it in. Over time – certain muscles will tend to weaken and others get tight. This muscular imbalance can eventuate into a Forward Head Posture. What muscles are involved?There is an imbalance involving all of the following muscles: (Note: If you are not sure where the following muscles are located, feel free to look them up on Google.) a) Overactive and/or Tight muscles:
b) What muscles are weak in Forward Head Posture? Deep Neck Flexors:
Lower Cervical Extensors:
(It’s where I share all of my best posture tips!) How to tell if you have Forward head postureHere are 3 different tests to determine if your head is poking forwards. a) Forward Head Posture Test Instructions:
Results: If the back of your head does not naturally come into contact with the wall, then you likely have a Forward Head Posture. b) Side profile Instructions:
Results: If the line from the ear canal is in front of the line of the torso, then you likely have a Forward Head Posture. c) X-Ray scan Ask your doctor for a X-Ray scan showing the lateral view of the Cervical spine. Craniovertebral Angle: This is the angle formed by the lines from the Tragus (part of the ear), C7 Spinous Process and a horizontal line that passes through the C7 vertebra. A normal value would be considered at approximately 50 degrees. What is the consequence of a Forward Head Posture?This is a list of the main symptoms associated with this postural issue: Symptoms: Forward Head Posture ExercisesRecommendation: Perform the following exercises 2-3/week to gain a sense of what each exercise feels like. Over time – assess how your body responds and adjust frequency and intensity accordingly. 1. Neck releasesThe tight muscles that are holding your head in the forward position will need to be released first. a) Sub-Occipital/Posterior Neck Instructions:
Alternatively: If you do not have a massage ball, you can use your fingers to apply pressure to the same areas. Note: If you start to feel dizziness or experience more pain, reduce the amount of pressure that you are applying. b) Sternocleidomastoid Instructions:
(For more stretches like this, see post: Sternocleidomastoid Stretches.) c) Side of neck release Instructions:
2. Neck stretchesStretching out the tight muscles will give the opportunity for the head to adopt the correct posture. a) Sub-Occipital (Upper Cervical Spine) Instructions:
b) Posterior neck (Middle neck) Instructions:
c) Front of Neck (Lower Cervical Spine) Instructions:
d) Sternocleidomastoid Instructions:
e) Anterior scalene Instructions:
3. Improve Joint mobilityIf the joints in your cervical spine are very stiff, this may limit the required neck movements to perform the following exercises effectively. a) Decompress the sides of the neck Instructions:
b) Chin tuck with over pressure Instructions:
c) Neck mobility Instructions:
d) Self neck traction (This is a great way to decompress your neck.) Instructions:
Note: Place a small towel between your head and the band to prevent your hair from being pulled. 4. Chin nodsThe following exercises will target the Deep Neck Flexors. These muscles are responsible for maintaining the correct posture of the head and neck. a) Chin nods (head supported) Instructions:
Note: If this exercise is too difficult, start with using a thicker pillow. b) Chin nod holds (sitting) Instructions:
5. Chin TuckThe following exercises will help position your head into the correct alignment. a) Chin tuck Instructions:
As this exercise becomes easier, challenge yourself with the following exercise progressions… b) Chin tuck (against gravity) Instructions:
c) Chin tuck (with resistance band) Instructions:
6. Chin tuck and NodThe next step is to combine the Chin Tuck and Nod together. a) Chin tuck/nod with head lift Instructions:
7. Elongate your neck!As you go throughout your day, it is important to practice maintaining your head in a more optimal position. The aim is to:
To achieve this, think about holding your head this way: “With your chin held in a slightly tucked in position, imagine your head as a balloon that is floating away from your shoulders.” Aim to keep your neck muscles as relaxed as possible. Note: Do NOT force your head into a position that it can not naturally hold with minimum effort. 8. Forward Head Posture and breathingThe muscles which are predominantly responsible for pulling the head into the forward position are the Sternocleidomastoid and Scalene. These muscles are also accessory muscles to your breathing. During relaxed breathing, it is ideal to have your diaphragm muscle as your main breathing muscle. However, with breathing inefficiencies, these accessory muscles will tend to be over active… which then can lead to your head poking forwards. Diaphragmatic breathing Instructions:
9. Extra tipsHere 5 simple tips that you can implement to improve your posture. a) Use your mobile phone properly
(Of course – I don’t expect you to use the phone in this position absolutely 100% of the time.) b) Change position often Avoid staying in the same posture for too long. Move in and out of different positions as much as you can. Sustaining one position over a long period of time may lock your posture into position! c) Optimize workstation ergonomics It is next to impossible to sit with good posture if your work station is not properly set up. It is imperative to set up the following in the correct position relative to your body:
For more information – I have written a free e-book which goes through everything that you need to know. FREE E-book: How To Set Up Your Workstation. d) Avoid wearing a heavy backpack Wearing a heavy backpack will tend to pull your upper torso forwards. This will lead to the head poking forwards. e) Minimize breathing through the mouth Breathing with an open mouth tends to encourage the over-activity of the muscles that are responsible for Nerd Neck. Keep that mouth closed! If you have blocked sinuses that make it difficult to breathe through the nose, I would encourage you to get this sorted out as well. f) Set up your car seat Many head rests tend to significantly push your head forwards. (… which I presume is a safety feature of the car?) It will be challenging… but try your best to adjust your seat to promote a better posture. 10. Address other areas of postureIf you have persisted with the above exercises for at least 3-6 months and have seen minimal improvement in your head position, you may need to consider addressing any of the following postural issues: a) Dowager’s Hump The Dowager’s hump is an enlarged prominence that is formed at the lower region of the neck. (… it’s a big bump that sits at the base of your neck!) If you have this, it is likely a major factor that is contributing to your Forward Head Posture. (… and is possibly limiting the effectiveness of the exercises.) For a detailed guide on how to address this issue: See post: Dowager’s Hump Exercises b) Hunchback Posture (Thoracic Kyphosis) If the thoracic spine (upper back) is hunched forwards, it can cause the head to poke forwards as well. For a detailed guide on how to address this issue: See post: Hunchback Posture c) Rounded Shoulders Having Rounded Shoulders is when the resting shoulder position is in front of the mid line of the torso. Rounded shoulders can pull your head forwards into the Nerd Neck position. For a detailed guide on how to address this issue: See post: Fix Rounded Shoulders 11. Common QuestionsFeel free to leave me a question in the comment section if you need any further clarification with anything mentioned on this blog post. a) Is Forward Head Posture correctible? Yes – it definitely is! (… as long as the joints in your Cervical spine have not fused into position.) c) How long does it take to fix Forward Head Posture? You should see some improvements in your head position after 6-12 weeks of performing the recommended exercises on a consistent basis. In some of you – you may even see immediate improvements in your posture! c) How to correct Forward Head Posture whilst sleeping? When sleeping on your back – do not use an overly thick pillow as this will push your head forwards. At the same time – you do not want the pillow to be too thin either as this will provide no support for your neck. (… and may even cause more issues!) General guideline: Use the thinnest pillow possible whilst still having your neck comfortably supported. ConclusionWhen fixing Forward Head Posture (Nerd Neck), I suspect a few of you may get a little bit discouraged in the beginning. (.. and I completely get it!) Your posture might not change as quickly as you’d like it to. The plain truth is: It takes time to fix your poor posture. My intention with this blog post was to provide you with everything that you will ever need to know to completely address this issue. Be consistent. Stay motivated. And perform the exercises! I hope it serves you well. All the best!
1. Any questions?… (Leave me a comment down below.) 2. Come join me on the Facebook page. Let’s keep in touch! 3. Start doing the exercises!
Mark is a Physiotherapist who has been helping his patients fix their posture for the past 11 years. He created the Posture Direct blog in 2015 with the goal of helping people fix their own posture. Facebook | InstagramDisclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. It exists for informational purpose only. Use of the content is at your sole risk. For more information: Medical disclaimer. |