|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A New Therapeutic Weapon
To Reverse Forward Head Posture - Posture Pal
By Joseph Ventura D.C. ©2005 all rights reserved
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society: "Older men and women with hyperkyphotic posture have higher mortality rates."1
SPINE: "All measures of health status showed significantly poorer scores as C7 plumb line deviation increased."2
Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin " ... abnormal spinal curvatures enhance the likelihood of whiplash injury and may have long-term clinical and biomechanical implications."3
When your mother told you to stand up straight, she probably didn't know that poor posture affected over 100 joints, dozens of muscles, diminished lung and cardio capacity, accelerated DJD, reduced physical performance, lowered and shortened the quality of life. A greater problem is that many health care professionals don't understand or appreciate the relationship between posture and health and performance.
Even those professionals that deal with orthopedic problems on a daily basis can overlook the affect of poor posture on their patients with knee pain, aching backs and tension headaches, and other conditions that seemingly aren't related to posture.
The Physiology
From SAUNDERS MANUAL OF PHYSICAL THERAPY PRACTICE:
"Poor posture" is a faulty relationship of the various parts of the body which produces increased strain on the supporting structures and in which there is less efficient balance of the body over its base of support. When resting posture is not "normal", more energy is needed to perform or control movements; e.g., forward head posture puts increased stress on the cervicothoracic spine and requires more work from the erector spinae muscles to maintain an erect posture.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Normal, neutral posture has been well established in the literature as illustrated in figure 1.
AP View
- Head Level
- Hips Level
- Shoulders and Clavicles Level
- Knees Level
- Ankles Level
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lateral View
A plumb line should pass through:
|
|
|
- Center of Ear
- Center of Shoulder
- Center of Hip
- And Fall Just in Front of the Ankle
Those doctors that do put a focus on a patient's posture have noticed an increasing trend toward patients, especially in young patients, presenting with a type of poor posture called Forward Head Posture (FHP). Various causes have been suggested which include overloaded backpacks, extended playing of portable video games, poor workplace ergonomics, sedentary lifestyle (couch potato).
Forward Head Posture (FHP)
Using the simplest definition, FHP is described as carrying the head forward of the center of the shoulder.. An example of FHP is presented in figure 2.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Subject A reflects a normal, neutral lateral posture.
Subject B demonstrates the classic FHP profile, with the red line representing the amount of forward head travel.
Long-term effects of FHP posture include
- Rounding of the shoulders
- Inward rotation of the arms
- Compressed thoracic cavity
- Likelihood on an increased lumbar lordosis
- Loss of range of motion
- Increased wear on the IVD, and other articular components
- Increased muscle tension in some areas causing "short weakness"
- Decreased muscle tension in some areas causing "stretch weakness"
While there are sophisticated devices to determine if a person has FHP, detecting this posture profile can be a simple as a quick visual from the side to see if the ear is over the shoulder.
The Effects of Forward Head Posture on Health
The head, about the shape and weight of a bowling ball, is subject to the same Laws of Physics as other objects. As the head moves outside its natural stable point, gravity takes hold and wants the head to hit the floor. Think of a bowling ball with a cut-off broom handle stuck in one hole. The ball will balance when the broom handle is upright, but tilt the handle slightly forward and the bowling ball will fall to the ground. Gravity never sleeps. This Law of Physics affects the body 24 hours a day.
Rene Calliet, MD estimated that for each inch the head is held forward of neutral, requires the exertion of 15 to 30 pounds of extra muscle tension to hold the head erect, which means that much less muscle strength is available to support outside loads. And, of course, this extra muscular load is transmitted down the spine, increasing chronic loading on the vertebrae as well as the intervertebral discs.
The "shoulders back and down" position of proper posture is optimal for load bearing. With this position, when a weight is held in the hands or supported by the shoulders, the shoulders will be pulled downwards, but not forward. When a forward shrug occurs, it is much less efficient. When fatigue resistance drops, the spine is more vulnerable to injury.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
The illustration on the left shows how an erect, posture allows the head to rest in a neutral position. But slouch forward and the entire spine has to work to support the weight of the head.
EFFECTS OF POOR POSTURE ON THE MUSCLES AND ON THE SPINE
Muscles habitually kept in a stretched position beyond the physiologic resting position tend to weaken. This is known as stretch weakness.
Muscles habitually kept in a shortened position tend to lose their elasticity. These muscles test strong in the shortened position but become weak as they are lengthened. This is known as tight weakness.
Imbalances in the flexibility of hip, shoulder, and neck musculature cause asymmetric forces on the spine (which decrease load bearing capability and increase injury risk).
Kisner and Colby, in Therapeutic Exercise, 3rd edition, state that this adaptive shortening of soft tissues and muscle weakness, caused by prolonged poor postural habits is considered to be a postural dysfunction. Stress to the shortened structures causes pain, and strength and flexibility imbalances may predispose the area to injury or overuse syndromes that a normal musculoskeletal system could sustain. Good postural habits are necessary to avoid postural dysfunctions. Below is an overview of FHP effects.
|
Joints Affected
|
Short Muscles
|
Weak Muscles
|
|
Atlanto-occipital
|
Levator scapulae
|
Hyoid
|
|
Cervical spine
|
Sternocleidomastoid
|
Lower cervical and
|
|
Temporomandibular
|
Scalenes
|
Middle and low trapezius
|
|
Scapulothoracic
|
Suboccipital
|
Rhomboids
|
|
Glenohumeral
|
Upper Trapezius
|
|
|
|
Pectoralis major
|
|
|
|
Pectoralis minor
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Treatment Methods
|
|
|
|
While the detection of FHP is easy, the correction of this posture deficiency is not. Through the years various methods such as back braces, traction devices, shoe inserts, therapeutic massage and exercise programs have been tried, with various successes.
The question to ask is this: If Gravity can cause FHP, can Gravity correct it?
The answer is YES!
|
|
|
|
Introducing Posture Pal
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Posture Pal is not a pillow, but rather a cushion so unique the design was granted a U.S. Patent.
The various contours of the cushion were designed with sophisticated posture analysis software to ensure predictable results.
Gravity Works Against You All Day Long.
Now, Make It Work For You!
Here's How Posture Pal Works
The Posture Pal cushion is placed on the floor and the patient lies on it in a supine position. The deep head piece allows the head to assume a neutral position in relation to the shoulders. The contours of the thoracic area push the thorax forward, stretching muscles in the front of the chest and relaxing muscles in the mid and upper back. At the same time, the shoulders are allowed to outward rotate.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
How Posture Pal Works:
- The headrest stabilizes the head.
- The neck support promotes a natural curve.
- The center hump supports the spinal region and gently extends the upper back while stimulating the spinal postural muscles.
- The shoulder slope allows gravity to stretch the chest muscles and allows the back muscles to relax.
- Smooth transition for the lower back.
Here Is What Posture Pal Accomplishes:
- Stretches the front upper body tissues
- Shortens the back tissues
- Stimulates the spinal postural muscles
- Increases circulation
- Opens up the chest region, increasing respiratory functions
- Alleviates upper AND lower back, shoulder and neck pain
- Relieves muscle tension
- Improves posture by aligning head, neck and upper body in correct position
- Reduces slouching, improving self confidence
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Clinical Proof
EXAMPLE: 11 year old female presenting with a typical Forward Head Posture deficiency. This is seen all too often in young children, especially those that play a lot of hand held video games, or carry an overloaded backpack.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
In this picture the child's head at rest is 34 mm in front of the shoulder. Normal, neutral position is 0mm.
The next day child was next asked to lie on a Posture Pal cushion for only 20 minutes.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
This specially designed cushion has recesses and elevations in scientifically designed areas to help reverse the effects of Poor Posture.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
A posture exam* performed immediately after using Posture Pal showed the dramatic improvement in the picture on the right. The 34mm of Forward Head Travel was reduced to 0.
This relieved over 18 kilograms of tension pull from the child's neck muscles!
It also flattened her tummy as the pelvic tilt was reduced.
While the example show is of an 11 year old girl, Posture Pal works for young and old alike.
If you aren't happy with the way you look from the side, give Posture Pal just 20 minutes a day and it just might change your life!
|
|
|
|
Problems with Other Products
|
|
|
|
Pillows
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The picture above is of a popular pillow for the relief of neck pain. Notice how far forward the shoulders the head is held. Using this pillow can be counter-productive in attempts at correcting Forward Head Posture.
Traction Devices
The picture below is of a traction type product claiming to correct Forward Head Posture.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Again the problem is that the head is not held in a normal anatomical position.
We are also against forcing a change in the cervical curve until the Stretch and Short weakness of the cervical muscles is addressed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posture Pal is unlike any other device for the reduction of Forward Head Posture, relaxation of the cervical muscles, reduction of neck pain and headaches, as well as mid-back, shoulder and chest pain.
1 Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Volume 52 Issue 10 Page 1662 - October 2004
doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52458.x
2 The Impact of Positive Sagittal Balance in Adult Spinal Deformity
Spine Volume 30(18), September 15, 2005 pp. 2024-2029
3 Effects of abnormal posture on capsular ligament elongations in a computational model subjected to whiplash loading
Brian D. Stemper, Narayan Yoganandan, and Frank A. Pintar
Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 West Wisconsin Avenue, VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
Accepted 19 June 2004. Available online 17 August 2004.
* all posture exams were performed using state of the art posture analysis software from VenturaDesigns (www.posturepro.com).
|
|
|
