Post-concussion neck pain? Time to repair your posture.

Can you hold your own head up over the side of the bed for 30 seconds?
Most people suffering from post-concussion neck pain have a difficult time completing this test. This can partly be a result of weak muscles in the neck. When holding ours heads up or when keeping our head in a neutral position becomes difficult, it’s time to repair your posture.

A study by Kang JH. et al. 2012, looked at how a forward head posture (FHP) affected the balance in people who have been subjected to longterm computer use posture. They found that the heavy computer users tend to have a more protruded head than the control group, their center of gravity was moved forward, and their balancing ability was reduced.

A second study by Kim DH. et al. 2018, looked at neck pain concerning the angle that the head sits on the spine, and range of motion of the neck. The study found that head position and the ability to bend the neck forward were good at predicting the occurrence of neck pain.

The third study by Kocur P. et al. 2019, looked at the relationship between age, weight, head posture, and muscle stiffness in adult women. Interestingly, they found that age plays a big role in forward head posture. The older we get the further forward our heads are positioned and the more we lose the elastic integrity of our muscles to keep a good posture. It also found that weight and height did not have a big impact on muscle stiffness related to neck posture.

They observed that a decline in postural strength is a major contributing factor to structural changes in the upper body. In other words, lack of muscle strength is helping to create poor neck posture and joint issues in the spine. This is why our posture takes a nosedive as we get older. Our shoulders round forward, our upper back grows a big hump, the curve in our neck straightens out, and our neck mobility decreases. This all tends to happen as we age. Surprisingly the study didn’t correlate the forward head posture with the connective tissue changes in the neck muscles. Whereas, other studies show that pain associated with forward head position could be originated from the facet joints in the neck (4). The neck joint capsules play an important role in your awareness of where the head is in space and the registration of pain in the neck. When forward head posture compresses and strains these structures the result is pain and this is directly related to age.

The study suggests that the possibility of several factors such as structural differences in bone and joints, straining habits, and daily loading activities can account for neck muscle stiffness in women as they age.

However, the study wasn’t all doom and gloom. They say that our recovery revolves around delaying the effects of age before it’s too late with exercise. Even a minimal amount of consistent exercise reduces the build-up of ridged connective tissue in aged muscles.

Why is this important?

Our posture is taking a turn for the worst. After the age of 30, the elasticity decreases and the stiffness increases 1.5 % per year. That statistic will probably change as we spend more and more time staring into our smartphones and glued to our computer screens. The solution, for those who care about their health and what they look like, is more attainable than you think. The first step is awareness. When your subconscious understands where your head is sitting at all times and the muscles of your neck can keep it in a neutral position the joints of your neck will not get irritated. Creating awareness starts with teaching your brain what is neutral and not neutral. By using repetitive exercise you can train the brain to create strength in a neutral position. Over time, your posture will continue to improve and the grip of aging will seem to loosen up.

Everyone can repair their posture. Especially when they are shown how to do it properly.

The best time to repair your posture is now. The longer you wait the deeper the joint pain and degeneration sink in and the more hunched your posture becomes.

The place where you can repair your posture and get rid of your neck or upper back pain is on the map below.

The best way to make an appointment is to call 613-599-2311 or email. Ask about the 4 week neck posture course.