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We are regularly posting information about health from an Osteopathic perspective.Exercises to improve a slouched forward posture
Your neck, mobile devices and neck pain
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Exercises to improve a slouched forward posture
It’s never too late to improve your posture and in this article I would like to share some of my favourite exercises to help with a slouched forward back. The previous article looked at the relationship between neck pain and a poor posture when using mobile devices or sitting hunched over at a desk. With the following exercises you can help yourself and improve posture as well as increase the mobility of your upper thoracic spine.
Chest Opening Standing
Spinal Twist Sitting
Supine Thoracic Stretch
If you have any medical condition affecting movement or pain then check with us or your GP first if these exercises are suitable for you.
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Your neck, mobile devices and neck pain
We are helping patients to recover from neck pain every day. I have noticed recently patients, in their early teens, are coming to see us for neck pain. Often there is a correlation with the lengthy periods of time looking down on devices. In essence it comes down to poor posture.
Together our head and neck weighs about 4.5-5.5kg. When we are in an upright posture this weight is transferred straight down into the spine and relatively minimal postural muscle activity is needed to keep us upright. What happens when we tilt our head forward to write a txt?
A study conducted by spinal surgeon Kenneth Hansraj investigated the stresses that our posture puts on the cervical spine which is summarised in the table below.
When the head is tilted forward the direction of force changes and drastically more weight is carried on the cervical spine which also strains neck and shoulder muscles. Your neck has to carry the equivalent of approx. 12 litres of water when the head is tilted 15 degrees forward or 15 litres on a 30 degrees angle. When looking down in a 45 degrees angle you are putting a pressure of 22 kg on your neck which equals the weight of two car tyres. At 60 degrees the weight increases to 27kg.
The consequences of a repeatedly poor head/neck posture can be pain and stiffness in the neck, upper back (slouching), shoulders and arms as well as tension headaches. Early degeneration of cervical joints can also result when the curvature of the cervical spine is changed by constantly looking down.
What can you do to change from a poor to a good posture?
The following recommendations are simple and worth the effort to keep your spine healthy and flexible. They just require a bit of discipline until they become second nature.
1. Bring any screen up to eye level
- Lift your arms so that your mobile phone’s screen is on eye level without head tilting.
- Make sure your desk ergonomics are supporting good posture. If the computer screen is too low then simply get a few thick books to place under the computer to raise it up to meet your eye level. If work place assessments are available, book in, perhaps discuss a standing hot desk that can be shared with co-workers throughout the day.
- If you are at home, you can also could lie comfortably on the floor, knees bent, hold the mobile phone over your eyes. In this position your head, neck and shoulder muscles can relax.
2. Improve your neck and shoulder musculature by regular stretching and strengthening exercises
(e.g. yoga, pilates).
3. When working on a desk and looking into a computer get up at least every 30 minutes to move
e.g. fetch a glass of water, go to the toilet, do a stretch.
References:
Hansraj, K. K. (2014) Assessment of stresses in the cervical spine caused by posture and position of the head. Surgical Technology International 25:277-9
