Anterior head syndrome is more recently becoming known as “text neck.” Some other names are anterior head carriage or forward head posture. Regardless of what it’s called, anterior head syndrome is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s generation. Basically, anterior head syndrome is abnormal forward positioning of the head relative to the shoulders due to misalignments of the spine.
What causes text neck?
Recent research has shown that on average a person will spend 2-4 hours a day with their head in a forward position looking down at their smartphone, hence the name text neck. For every inch that your head is forward relative to normal, it’s estimated that the spinal bones and muscles in your neck need to support an additional 10 lbs. An average head weighs roughly 12 lbs. So for just 2 inches of your head being in the forward posture, the spinal bones and muscles in the neck need to support 32 lbs. No wonder people always have stress and tension in their neck and shoulders!
Think of your head like a bowling ball. If you were holding a 12 lbs. bowling ball close to your body, it wouldn’t feel all that heavy right? What if you were holding the same bowling ball a few inches in front of you. Wouldn’t the ball feel heavier? Now imagine holding the bowling ball out in that position for hours at a time. This is exactly why so many people suffer with tension and stiffness in the shoulder and upper trapezius musculature.
How can Keystone Chiropractic help?
At Keystone Chiropractic, we see many symptoms arise from chronic anterior head syndrome posture. Because there is so much neurology in the cervical spine, anterior head syndrome is one of the main causes of spinal cord tension, leading to a multitude of symptoms such as headaches, sleeping difficulties, asthma, allergies, carpal tunnel syndrome, and even TMJ (jaw) pain.
It’s vitally important for anterior head syndrome to be corrected early before we see irreversible damage such as spinal degeneration. The doctors will determine if motion x-ray studies are required to see how the cervical and upper thoracic spine are moving biomechanically. Once the proper bones to be adjusted are determined, the doctors will provide gentle and specific adjustments to allow the head to structurally come back over the shoulders.
Drs. Joshua and Daniel at Keystone Chiropractic help with a variety of health issues, including anterior head syndrome, and serve Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, and surrounding communities in North Dallas. They focus specifically on neuro-structural chiropractic, and use advanced technology to pinpoint the exact areas that need to be corrected. Allow Keystone Chiropractic to assist you in gaining victory over your text neck. Live Better Now!
