Here is a great video from Dr. Paula Moore (she is a full time chiropractor).
Updated on: Dec 2, 2020 at 08:31
Hi! I’m Paula Moore, the chiropractor talking today about forward head posture correction and the effects from ageing process. First of all, forward head posture is the leaning of the head relative to our shoulders. It’s NOT the same as the Dowager’s Hump.
Dowager’s Hump is something we see between the shoulder blades. It’s a result of a disease called Osteoporosis, where the person actually fracture some vertebrae, their spine, giving them a wedge posture. That’s what real Dowager’s Hump.
The hump we’re talking about with forward head posture is a little squidgy bit of skin here that maybe you’ve seen in your mother. Yes, well. That’s the body’s way of protecting the area. As the head comes forward, the body lays down more fat in this area because it proceeds the risk to the spinal cord in that region. Well, that’s where I disrupt my patients.
In this short video she talks about what you can do about it, and give you a couple of examples of great exercise that you can do to remedy the problem – before it gets out of hand. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uzd_nFzj0Y
Remember to check out my post about PostureNOW, this device is a great way to prevent forward head posture in the first place, click here.
Now, naturally, life tends to pull us that way in everything we do.
Reading books, working on computer, writing, washing up, everything. Running about, washing your hair, always leaning forward. Over the decades, we see more of this posture if this is not worked on. I really like to tell you that the more pronounce forward head leaning, the more devastating the health effect.
Forward Head Posture Correction Part One
I’ve seen thousands of thousands patients over number of years.
It’s no coincidence that the one with more pronounced forward head leaning are usually the ones on cocktail of medication. You can read up a lot about that. There’s really great studies now in the medical literature.
So first of all, what I’d like to do with these corrected posture is to hook my hands in a bit of a web. Make a right down over the belt area where you’re wearing your trousers. You’re using that as a bit of a lever to help you stand tall. It’s not a military posture. It’s a lengthening posture.
I tell my patients to think of it as a great big balloon attached to your chest and to their head lengthening them. It feels good. See if you can do that. As if you’re trying to get your head right up to the ceiling. Use your hands first. Use to wedge them in. As you’re doing that bring your posture taller. Feel the weight go back over your big toe, your little toe and your heel.
Those three points should be holding the weight of your body equally.
Not leaning back on your heels. Not upon your tiptoes like … or on the sides. As you’re going tall and some relax as well, don’t hold your breath. You’re really straining when you do this. Gently lengthen. Feel the weight over your big toe, your middle toe and your heel.
The next part of that as you go up to that tall posture, your top chin in. It’s not looking down. It is a sliding backwards like that. Bringing your earlobe back over the shoulders. So watch me. I’m breathing in. Going tall. Tucking in. Breathe out. Breathe in.
Now, I’m quite flexible so you can see my hip comes back along way. I’m doing this for years. Some of you might be so stiff. The head doesn’t seem to move at all. If that’s the case and you’re older, you’ll probably finding up more stiffness. You may need a wall to help you.
When you’re doing that, you simply let the head touch the wall.
Forward Head Posture Correction Part Two
By the way, if you have to do that to touch the wall, you already got fairly advanced forward head leaning.
You probably need to see health professional to start getting your joints moving again before you can do this exercise. So for those who are a little stiffer, heading against the wall, tuck the chin right back in and hold. Relax. The head will spring forward.
Touch the head against the wall. Tuck in. It’s called the double chin exercise because you’ll notice you’ll get a double chin. You can use two fingers. Tuck in. Relax. Tuck in. Relax. Tuck in. Really tuck in. Watch out from the side. Two fingers. I’m going to …. Tuck in. Relax.
Now, I’m going to be using one hand to wedge because I’m taking this one away, okay?
Tuck in. Relax. Tuck in. Relax. Watch my shoulder blades.
They go from little bit round to really straight. You may hear here click, click, click when the vertebrae is releasing gas as you do that. That’s fine. Tall. Tuck in. Relax. Breathe in. Relax. Do ten in a row. Holding each for the two, three seconds four times a day.
Now, we’ll you start with that. You might get a little bit of sore if you start with three, four, five with that at time four times a day. Okay? You may need to use the wall when you start it. That side of using the wall, you can only bring the chin so far. When you’re free standing you can bring it beyond correction. So you get more correction out of that. Okay?
Let’s go through that one last time. Tall. Tuck in. When you get good at it, you won’t need the finger as much. Now, I actually my whip is a little too far back there right up on the toes. Tuck in. Give that a try.
Let me know how you’re getting on at posture videos dot com. Don’t forget to get a free chapter of my book about the health available there, too.
Great. I hope you really enjoy that. That was a great exercise.
I do it every day.
The End
Alternatives to back exercises: using back braces, aka postural correction devices, to correct posture could be considered less intrusive than other spinal procedures, such as spinal fusions and interbody fusion devices. In a review of back braces and tools that help people fix posture, low back pain decreased.
And, finally, remember to check out my PostureNOW review, this device is a great way to prevent forward head posture in the first place.
If you’re prone to forward head posture or have your own question you’d like to ask me please feel free to leave a comment below or write me an e-mail.
All you have to do is mention this blogg in your e-mail and I’ll get right back to you.
For more information about my lecture please contact me.