How Forward Head Posture is Affecting Your Respiratory System

Posted By on May 3, 2021 | 0 comments

Forward head posture (FHP), at first glance, is clearly not aesthetically pleasing. However, it’s the negative impact this posture is having on the respiratory system that should be of great concern to all of us.

If you’re not familiar with the term “forward head posture” or FHP, it is something of an evolution of poor posture that has emerged in our advancing technological age. While forward head posture is often associated with long days sitting at a computer, constantly looking down at our phones texting and too much time driving, there are other behaviors that can result in forward head posture. Sleeping with too many pillows under your head, tucking your phone between your ear and your shoulder and trauma from accidents can all contribute to this common postural deformity.

Forward head posture is when your neck slants forward causing your head position to be an inch or more in front of the first neck vertebrae. When looking at someone what you might first notice is what appears to be slouching shoulders, which is true. However, on closer examination you will also notice how the chin juts out, creating an unnatural curvature of the neck. It doesn’t look good and it is putting a lot of unnecessary stress on your spine that can cause all sorts of issues for you.

Forward head posture is so common that it affects between 66% to 90% of the American population. (1) While forward head posture is something that is commonly seen in the elderly, many experts believe that the steady rise of FHP in teens and young adults is largely due to the amount of time spent on mobile devices. And this needs to be a concern, because it can have long term negative impacts on health, particularly its’ impact on the respiratory system.

The negative effects of FHP on respiration have been studied intensely, and the findings appear to be rather consistent in just how devastating forward head posture can be. A 2018 study, in it’s conclusion states that …

“Alteration of head and neck positions can have an immediate negative impact on respiratory function. Clinicians should be prompted to assess respiratory function when assessing individuals with FHP …” (2)

So what does all this mean? In a nutshell it means that if you have forward head posture, your respiratory function may be seriously compromised and may continue to get worse if you do not do something to correct it!

And I happen to know of the BEST program that can correct your forward head posture simply, without doctors or invasive treatments, and that you can do right in the comfort in your own home.

But before I get to that, I want to discuss with you a bit more on just how profoundly forward head posture can negatively influence respiration. When you think about it, poor posture in general does nothing to support optimal respiration. And a respiratory system that is not functioning at peak capacity is affecting every aspect of your life. You will find yourself tiring quickly, having very low energy levels, your brain will not receive optimal levels of oxygen which will affect your cognition, your workouts will suffer, your sleep will suffer and you may develop sleep apnea. … the list goes on.

When not addressed, forward head posture can become increasingly worse or more exaggerated, and the degree of forward head posture a person has directly affects chest expansion and the ability of the respiratory muscles to work effectively. (3)

What researches are finding, is that forward head posture weakens the diaphragm which also directly affects respiratory function, thus impacting your ability to take full deep breaths. Also, weakening of the diaphragm can affect core stability, which further impacts and can lead to other musculoskeletal implications related to spinal instability. (4)

Again … GOOD NEWS … you can do something about this right now. No invasive procedures and no back-cracking chiropractic treatments. This program can be done right in your own home.

How do I know this program works? Because I used it myself to fix my own forward head posture. I spend, at minimum, 8 hours a day in front of a computer! In between that time I am also on my phone a lot more than I’d like to be. My FHP got so bad that I was in chronic and consistent pain and it was really affecting my quality of life.

Then I met Rick Kaselj MS, a leading kinesiologist and injury specialist. Within 15 minutes of working through Rick’s “sequential flow,” I noticed a dramatic difference. My neck and shoulder tension was drastically reduced, I was able to turn my head from side to side with full range of motion, my headache completely disappeared and I noticed that my breathing was much more relaxed. I was able to breathe more deeply, which immediately cleared my head-fog!