Having a forward head posture doesn’t just make you look weird but causes neck and shoulder pain too. Although more and more people are seen with this posture because of the nature of their job or constantly looking down on their phones, you shouldn’t just let this be. There are a lot of things in life that you should get used to but a bad posture isn’t one of them because proper posture plays an important role in your health. Therefore, developing a bad one, such us forward head posture, is bound to cause health problems or injury. Do not let it get to that point, correct it while you still can! Here are some ways that will help you do that, get rid of the awkward posture and relieve pain at the same time.
1. Adjust Your Computer Monitor’s Height And Distance
If you have an office job, chances are you spend majority of the time sitting in front of the computer. Over time, you’ll find yourself leaning into the screen, looking up or looking down all the time if the monitor if not on your eye level or is too far from your face. Stop this from being your permanent posture by adjusting the monitor’s height and distance so that you wouldn’t be the one to adjust to it.
2. Lift Your Chest
Because you’re problem is forward head posture, it may seem like pushing your neck backward is how you solve the issue. However, if you’ll pay close attention to how your entire body is positioned, you’ll realize that that’s not enough to correct your posture. In fact, you may even strain your neck even further by doing that. What you can do instead is to lift your chest which will help naturally retract your neck.
3. Perform Posture Corrective Exercises
Exercises and stretches are good way to loosen up stiff muscles around your neck area due to the unnatural posture that it had become accustomed to. Once that goal is achieved, it will be easier to reposition your neck back into place. Chin retractions and supine chin tuck are both very effective neck exercise that you can easily do anywhere you are.
4. Purchase An Ergonomic Chair
Since you spend a lot of time sitting, why don’t you invest in an office chair that isn’t just comfortable but helps keep your body in proper alignment. Ergonomic chairs target to correct your posture and strengthen your neck by providing lumbar support which is an area that is often slouch when sitting for long periods of time using an ordinary chair. Aside from that it also allows the natural curvature of your back to stay intact instead of you sitting very rigid. You should remember though that there are a lot of different type of ergonomic chairs in the market, they are designed differently from each other. So you should find what fits your body and needs perfectly and not just buy from a specific brand or a specific design because it’s the popular one.
5. Use A Supportive Neck Pillow
More pillows when sleeping doesn’t mean better neck support. The goal is not to elevate your head too much because it pushes your neck forward. It’s best that you use only one pillow that is made from quality materials so it conforms into your head and neck’s shape but doesn’t easily lose firmness. This is because pillows that feel flat makes you want to pile on more. You should make sure though that your pillow is soft but supportive so that the curve area on your neck isn’t strained and maintained.
Don’t assume that you don’t have this problem because you’d be surprised that most people actually do, especially with those who have desk jobs. Test yourself to determine if you do or don’t have it by simply doing a wall test where you stand with your back and your head against a wall. Keep your heels six inches away from the wall. Now see how many fingers you can place in the space between the wall and the back of your neck. If you can fit three or more fingers then it’s possible that you belong to the growing statistics of sufferers from this postural issue.
The longer you go with this posture untreated, the more this leads to chronic neck tension. It can also cause you to have a hunchback and lead to anterior tilting in the lower back and/or pelvis. Try these tips to avoid this chain of posture problems.
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