The proper way to "forward head" posture -- and, neck posture fallacies
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- I've been meaning to make this video for awhile, as I am, myself, also guilty in the unnuanced teaching of "long neck", as it will, in its demonstrated way, only be viable for a small portion of viewers.
Reality is that the degree of protraction (forwardness) of the head will be pre-determined by the angle of the upper segements of the back (upper thoracic spine). If the upper back is slouched down, which is extremely common, then the emerging cervical spine will inevitably point forward. If you attempt to correct this by pulling your neck "up", as I typically teach, it will cause you to hyperextend the neck. This is not necessarily super-dangerous, but it is not feasible and will not give you the results you are looking for.
Rather, we should attempt to accommodate the initial trajectory of the cervical spine by pulling the back of the head slighly "up and forwad". Remember to use the least effort possible to get there in order to avoid "neck clenching"; see my other videos on that topic.
I have cervical dystonia and this point about the chest is really helpful. Especially the language used ‘nipples up and forward’. I feel a lot of stretch in my intercostals doing this. And generally along my thoracic spine if I breathe deeply too. Something to work on. Thanks.
Your videos are great. Easy to follow, effective ...no time wasted on useless blather. Very much appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you for these videos. I noticed your comments about going down rabbit holes, and I completely relate. When I first started looking for answers about what was happening to me, I felt the same way. I've developed swallowing and neck issues, along with neck clenching, likely due to silent reflux / stress/ bad posture-though no doctor can pinpoint the exact cause. One thing I’m fairly certain of is that sitting with poor posture for the past 5 years has made it chronic. Before that, I was active as a student, doing lot of sports with no problems and not sitting at desk all day.
As a swimmer, I aways think i have overdeveloped my shoulders in comparison to the rest of my body, and the advice to lenghten spine in these videos feel really helpful and in the beginning the swallowing problems can dissapear for some minutes! But i cannot hold it for long. I always get the feeling that my core or back/spine?-whatever you want to call it (im no expert)-doesn’t provide enough support for my shoulders/head, which leads to me habitually collapsing or clenching my neck. I sincerely hope I can break this cycle again. Maybe i just need to give it more time and relax. Any tips are for sure welcome. someone in comments asks like me if strengthening the spine/back/core muscles are usefull or not and if yes, how. But anyway - thank you so much for posting this already
Great solution and explanation.
Holy shit! Everything makes sense now. Thank you.
So helpful, thank you.
(I'm remembering as a kid my mom said to me a thousand times, "Lift your ribcage." Sounds weird, but I must've had a collapsed chest forever, hence my issues today.)
What works well for me is filling the ribcage with air and then hold that position.
Thank you! Excellent cues!
Good video thank you !
man i just realized im so fkin dum for not trusting my body and make it so complicated i know zero about muscles and these kinda sh*t but i found myself more comfortable and relaxed the way u described but i just kept making myself sit stright like an absolute clown . its like i had to be told by some professional to sit the way u feel relaxed .
Thank you for another video on this topic - your videos are very helpful. If I may - my recent MRI of the cervical spine showed "straightened lordosis and kyphoscoliosis" - from my understanding, this means that I look too much down and leaning forward while at the same time overstrengthening the back of my neck. Perhaps I am overdoing it to avoid "tucking"? Or maybe I am "tucking"? I am worried that if I raise my head, it might lead to "tucking", as it also does not feel comfortable for me, it feels as if I am crushing something under my skull (although it was always very uncomfortable to look straight for me, grew up with the "virgin neck meme" posture habit)
My upper traps were very stiff this weekend during one of my long runs. Sometimes, my occipital region is stiff, too, when my upper traps are very stiff. Is this a result of weak traps? Throughout my run, I check my neck/head posture to see if my ears and shoulders align and 99% of the time they are. Sometimes, I wake up with tense traps; other days, it's a couple of days-long issues. I'll be honest: I don't do much heavy trap work besides using therabands to shrug throughout the day.
4:34 "pulling nipples up and forward like you should" ye and then you end up in extended position of your lower thoracic with creates a problem in th-l. Most people have problems creating flexion in whole thoracic. True flexion- in all segments. They are stuck in hyperkyphosis in maybe let's say 3-4 segments and whole t spine is frozen. Cannot flex cannot extend.
Other than that good points.
No. The opposite is true. The overextension of the mid back occurs when you lean back ,and will NOT occur when you do it as I showed it.
@@MSKNeurologyit doesn't look like zone of apposition at all
@@Kiko6Kiko You do you, bud. Good luck with that.
Is there a right way to load thoracic extension exercises?
Thanks for the clarification of the proper head-to-chest posture, helps a lot! However, for the long term, what exercises do you recommend for strengthening the upper back muscles? Or will they adapt on their own when being in proper posture?
i have the exact same question 🙂
Kjetil, is there a connection between forward head posture and numb/tingling pinky fingers? Can you talk about that symptom.
TOS. See my shoulder posture videos
Thanks dude. Any opinions on denneroll/pope 2 way traction?
I tried both strengthening exercises and conscious correction to solve FHP (and PPT) and none of them worked for me. Only thing that worked for me was jutting my jaw forward and holding it there. Yes the mandible affects your centre of gravity. Don't care if you don't believe me.
Cool story
@@MSKNeurology Glad you liked it
@@LordGodKing TOTALLY. The mandible is a diaphragm by itself. essentiall to balance
can you please explain more what you exactly did? and show a video on the internet
I have a lot of intense pain in my suboccipital muscles, which also leads to daily tension headaches. Do I have this right: reach upwards with the BACK of the head, and make sure the chest is not depressed inwards but instead open and pointing forward?
@@FictionalF0r3st occipital migraine is usually vascular. See my website articles
@@MSKNeurology seems a lot of the causes are unknown/idiopathic. Wonder how often stress & anxiety are the root cause. Thanks, am reading your stuff now.
Can the pulling of the chest forward/up be overdone or done wrong? why would one be getting costochondritis like symptoms from putting their chest out. Can you please also explain what one may have to do with my lower ribcage as well, to properly lead into their lumbar spine? Thank you!
Everything can be overdone. As I've shown in other videos, chest posture tends to worsen the patient's symptoms if they have costoclavicular syndrome, which is a common issue. Remember that when the chest (first rib) comes up, the shoulders also need to come up. If you need individual assessment, book a session.
How do fix anterior pelvic tilt bad lower back posture?
See my video on APT
Kjetil, can a high pillow during sleep contribute forward head posture?
you're missing the point here
@@MSKNeurology Thank you very much. I watched it again and understood.:)
How does one best contact you for a zoom consultation?
Bookings on my website
If you are a female with a large chest, can that effect the chest up and forward?
The muscles supporting your back should be more than capable to support the female chest. Bad habits combined with maybe a bit of shyness/modesty can cause habitual forward posture to not strut them in the air.
Very important for larger chested women, because the typical upper back pain they get is due to this problem. Don't forget to raise the shoulders cf my other videos.
Baws is correct
So fixing thoracic mobility is number one priority?
No. Watch the video again.
An MRI shows a flattening of my thoracic spine. What’s that about?
Some people are upper back clenchers but it's really rare. I'd have to assess it individually.
Thank you for this clarification. Will this kind of posture restore the neck curvature of military necks ?
You're missing the point.
@@MSKNeurology I understand it's mainly aiming at forward head posture, but I was wondering if military neck can be "cured".
I need help.
Dont give up broder! Work on it. but more important dont work on it on a stress situation. Before u relax and after you study some exercise for cervical.
It takes a little while, work on getting rid of the shoulder slouch before you focus too much on the neck.
Practice keeping your upper thoracic spine (base of your neck and down 4 inches) a little extended/backwards for small periods of time and working on your scapular stability first. Keep your upper chest facing forward and upwards.
Remind yourself throughout the day to not “slouch” until it becomes second nature.
Your neck and head posture will follow that if you take it slow and do it right. If you address the neck without first addressing the shoulder girdle it becomes more painful and complicated. Trust me
What if I like to lay on my stomach and watch tv. Are there any concerns for neck health. Should the head be "forward" in the position too?
Don't overthink everything. Unless you're in that position for hours, and you don't have any injuries, then it doesn't matter much.