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SUMMARY

The Damaging Health Consequences of Forward Head Posture

 "It's an axiom ... that the body follows the head ...You can realign your entire body by
moving your head. Your head held in a forward position can pull your entire body out of
line." In addition: “Every inch of forward head posture, can increase the weight of the
head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.”(On average, this is over a 100% increase
of weight bearing stress on the spine and it’s associated neuro-muscular structures).

Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Vol. 3

 Forward Head Posture can add up to 30 pounds of abnormal leverage and weight bearing
stress upon the cervical spine. This leveraged pressure “can pull the entire spine out of
alignment” and cause full spinal symptoms and pain.

Rene Cailliet, M.D, Director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University
of Southern California

 FHP results in loss of vital capacity of the lungs by as much as 30%. This shortness of
breath can lead to heart and blood vascular disease and affect the entire gastrointestinal
system, particularly the large intestines.

Rene Cailliet, M.D, Director of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University
of Southern California

 FHP has been shown to flatten the normal lordotic neck curve, resulting in spinal disc
compression, damage and early arthritis.

Gore DR, Sepic SB, Gardner GM. Roentgenographic findings of the cervical spine in asymptomatic
people. Spine 1986; 6:591-694

 Forward Head Posture causes forward deviation of the entire body’s center of
gravity.“Deviations in the body’s center of gravity caused poor posture which resulted in
intestinal problems hemorrhoids, varicose veins osteoporosis, hip and foot deformities,
poor health, decreased quality of life and shorter life span”

Freeman JT, Posture in the Aging and Aged Body, JAMA 1957; 165(7) pp 843-846 JAMA Journal of the
American Medical Association

 The effects of long term forward head and neck postures can cause “long-term muscle
strain, disc herniations and pinched nerves”.

Mayo Clinic Health Letter Vol. 18, #3 March 2000

 In regard to respiratory dysfunction in chronic neck pain patients, a recent study
demonstrated a strong association between an increased Forward Head Posture and
decreased respiratory muscle strength and breathing ability.