What is Forward Head Posture?
Forward Head Posture (FHP) is where the position of the head is in front of the mid line of the torso.
(It is also referred to as Nerd Neck, Poked Head, Forward Neck Posture and Text Neck.)
Ideally – the ear canal should be aligned with the mid line of the torso.
It involves a combination of lower neck flexion and upper neck extension.
This results in the flattening or loss of the natural curve in the lower Cervical spine.
What causes Forward head posture?
It’s all about your postural habits.
Think about how you sit when you you use computer, mobile phone, driving your car etc:
Are you sitting up tall?…. Or are you letting your head poke forward?
The body will get used to the positions that you choose to place it in.
Over time – certain muscles will tend to weaken and others get tight.
This muscular imbalance can eventuate into a Forward Head Posture.
What muscles are involved?
There is an imbalance involving all of the following muscles:
(Note: If you are not sure where the following muscles are located, feel free to look them up on Google.)
a) Overactive and/or Tight muscles:
- Anterior Scalene
- Sternocleidomastoid
- Anterior neck muscles (Lower Cervical Spine)
- Sub-Occipital muscles
- Splenius Capitis/Cervicis
- Semispinalis
- Longissimus
- Anterior Upper Trapezius
- Upper Levator Scapulae
b) What muscles are weak in Forward Head Posture?
Deep Neck Flexors:
- Longus Capitis
- Longus Colli
Lower Cervical Extensors:
- Multifidus
- Erector Spinae
- (Lower Cervical Spine)
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How to tell if you have Forward head posture
Here are 3 different tests to determine if your head is poking forwards.
a) Forward Head Posture Test
Instructions:
- Place your back completely flat against the wall.
- Make sure that your pelvis and shoulder blades are in contact with the wall.
- Do not over arch your lower back.
- Do not tilt your head backwards.
- Whilst standing in this position, does the back of your head naturally come in contact with the wall?
Results: If the back of your head does not naturally come into contact with the wall, then you likely have a Forward Head Posture.
b) Side profile
Instructions:
- Take a side profile photo of yourself.
- Draw a line down the mid line of your torso.
- Draw a line down from your ear canal.
- This line should be parallel to the mid line of the torso.
Results: If the line from the ear canal is in front of the line of the torso, then you likely have a Forward Head Posture.
c) X-Ray scan
Ask your doctor for a X-Ray scan showing the lateral view of the Cervical spine.
Craniovertebral Angle: This is the angle formed by the lines from the Tragus (part of the ear), C7 Spinous Process and a horizontal line that passes through the C7 vertebra.
A normal value would be considered at approximately 50 degrees.
What is the consequence of a Forward Head Posture?
This is a list of the main symptoms associated with this postural issue:
Symptoms:
- Neck Pain at base of the Skull
- Headaches and Dizziness
- Cervical Radiculopathy
- Ineffective breathing technique
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) issues
- Impaired balance
Forward Head Posture Exercises
Recommendation: Perform the following exercises 2-3/week to gain a sense of what each exercise feels like.
Over time – assess how your body responds and adjust frequency and intensity accordingly.
1. Neck releases
The tight muscles that are holding your head in the forward position will need to be released first.
a) Sub-Occipital/Posterior Neck
Instructions:
- Place a massage ball under the back of your neck.
- Do not place it directly under the spine.
- You are aiming for the muscles on either side of the spine.
- Apply an appropriate amount of pressure onto the massage ball.
- Gently rotate your head from side to side to emphasize certain areas.
- Make sure to cover the muscle from the base of the skull to the base of the neck.
- Continue for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Alternatively: If you do not have a massage ball, you can use your fingers to apply pressure to the same areas.
Note: If you start to feel dizziness or experience more pain, reduce the amount of pressure that you are applying.
b) Sternocleidomastoid
Instructions:
- Locate the Sternocleidomastoid muscle.
- (Use Google if you are not sure where it is.)
- You should be able to feel a prominent band of muscle on each side of the neck. (see above)
- Do not to press too deep as you may hit other sensitive structures of the neck.
- Gently massage these muscles with a pinch grip.
- Make sure to cover the entire length of the muscle.
- Duration: 1 minute per side.
(For more stretches like this, see post: Sternocleidomastoid Stretches.)
c) Side of neck release
Instructions:
- Place the flat part of your fist at the bottom of the side of your neck.
- Make sure that you are not pressing onto the structures at the front of the neck.
- Apply a gentle sliding pressure up towards behind the ear region.
- Repeat 5 upwards strokes on either side of the neck.
2. Neck stretches
Stretching out the tight muscles will give the opportunity for the head to adopt the correct posture.
a) Sub-Occipital (Upper Cervical Spine)
Instructions:
- Place your hand at the front of your chin and the other at the back of your head.
- Apply a force to the front of your chin as to gently glide the chin backwards.
- Whilst maintaining this pressure, proceed to pull your head forward/down.
- Aim to feel a stretch at the back of your Upper neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
b) Posterior neck (Middle neck)
Instructions:
- Gently tuck your chin in.
- Look down.
- Place both hands behind your head and pull your head downwards.
- Aim to feel the stretch at the back of your Middle neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
c) Front of Neck (Lower Cervical Spine)
Instructions:
- Gently tuck your chin in.
- Slowly look upwards.
- Do not arch your lower back.
- Aim to feel a stretch at the front of your neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
d) Sternocleidomastoid
Instructions:
- Gently tuck your chin in.
- Rotate your head towards the side that you want to stretch.
- Tilt your head to the side away from the side you want to stretch.
- Use your hand to pull your head further into the tilt.
- Aim to feel a stretch on the side of your neck.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Do both sides.
e) Anterior scalene
Instructions:
- Look up and rotate your head to the side.
- Place your hand on the collar bone on the opposite side to which you have rotated to.
- Pull the skin on the collar bone downwards.
- Tilt your head to the side.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Do both sides.
3. Improve Joint mobility
If the joints in your cervical spine are very stiff, this may limit the required neck movements to perform the following exercises effectively.
a) Decompress the sides of the neck
Instructions:
- Slightly lower your head downwards.
- Tilt your head to the side.
- (“Ear to the shoulder”)
- Place your hand on the side of your head and apply a gentle pressure.
- Aim to feel a stretch on the side of your neck.
- Avoid any pinching sensation on the side you are pulling your head towards.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Repeat 3 times.
- Do both sides.
b) Chin tuck with over pressure
Instructions:
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent.
- Use a thin pillow if required.
- Tuck your chin in.
- Place your hands on your chin apply a downward pressure.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
c) Neck mobility
Instructions:
- Tuck your chin.
- (think about the movement as a book sliding back into the shelf)
- Whilst maintaining this chin tucked position, proceed to look up/down.
- Ensure that you do not poke your chin out excessively during the movement.
- As you look upwards, you should feel a “bruisy” (… but not painful!) sensation at the base of your neck.
- If it is painful – decrease the amount of looking upwards.
- Repeat 30 times.
d) Self neck traction
(This is a great way to decompress your neck.)
Instructions:
- Tie a resistance band to a stationary object. (Height: ~3-4 feet)
- Lie on the floor with your knees bent.
- Wrap the band under the base of the skull.
- Whilst still holding the band with your hands, slowly shuffle your body away from the anchor point.
- Let go and let the band pull your head.
- Move as far away until you can feel a stretch at the back of your neck.
- Completely relax.
- Hold for 1 minute.
Note: Place a small towel between your head and the band to prevent your hair from being pulled.
4. Chin nods
The following exercises will target the Deep Neck Flexors. These muscles are responsible for maintaining the correct posture of the head and neck.
a) Chin nods (head supported)
Instructions:
- Lie down on the floor with your head supported with a thin pillow.
- Gently perform a chin nod.
- (as if to say ‘yes’).
- Aim to feel a gentle contraction in the muscles at the back of your throat.
- Relax your neck muscles as much as possible. You should not feel the muscles at the front of your throat tense up.
- You can try flattening your tongue to the roof your your mouth to help reduce the tension in the neck.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 30 times.
Note: If this exercise is too difficult, start with using a thicker pillow.
b) Chin nod holds (sitting)
Instructions:
- Sit up right.
- Slightly nod your chin downwards.
- Place a closed fist underneath your chin.
- Gently push your chin down onto your fist
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Aim to feel a gentle contraction at the back of your throat.
- Repeat 2-3 times.
5. Chin Tuck
The following exercises will help position your head into the correct alignment. For more information, see post: The 6 Best Chin Tuck Exercises.
a) Chin tuck
Instructions:
- Sit upright
- Gently tuck your chin in.
- “Make a double chin.”
- If you experience discomfort as you do this, fixate your gaze slightly lower and re-try tucking the chin in.
- Aim to feel a gentle lengthening sensation at the back of your neck.
- Make sure to keep your eyes and jaw level and move the head horizontally backwards.
- Think of the movement like a book sliding back into the shelf.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 30 times.
As this exercise becomes easier, challenge yourself with the following exercise progressions…
b) Chin tuck (against gravity)
Instructions:
- Lie down on your stomach with head off the edge of a bed.
- Gently tuck your chin in.
- (Since you are moving your head against gravity, there is a greater challenge on your muscles.)
- Aim to hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
NOTE: If you find it very difficult to hold your head in this position, this may suggest that muscles at the back of your neck (aka “Neck Extensors”) are weak. Check out this post for more exercises to strengthen them: Neck Extensor Exercises.
c) Chin tuck (with resistance band)
Instructions:
- Apply a resistance band around the back of your neck.
- Pull the band forwards as to increase the tension on the band.
- Proceed to do a chin tuck against the resistance band.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 20 times.
6. Chin tuck and Nod
The next step is to combine the Chin Tuck and Nod together.
a) Chin tuck/nod with head lift
Instructions:
- Lie down on your back with your knees bent.
- (Support your head on a pillow if required.)
- Gently flatten your tongue to the roof of your mouth throughout the exercise.
- This will help engage the right muscles in the neck.
- Tuck your chin in.
- Nod your chin downwards.
- Whilst keeping your chin in the nodded position, lift your head off the ground.
- Imagine you are gently squashing an apple between your lower jaw and throat throughout movement.
- Lift as high or as low as you are comfortable.
- Aim to feel the contraction of the muscles at the front of your neck.
- Hold for 5-10 seconds.
- Repeat 10 times.
- Make sure that you DO NOT let your chin jut forward as you lift your head.
- Note: If you find this exercise difficult, support the weight of your head with your finger tips.
7. Elongate your neck!
As you go throughout your day, it is important to practice maintaining your head in a more optimal position.
The aim is to:
- Elongate your neck
- Reduce compression in the Cervical Spine
- Eliminate over-activity of muscles
To achieve this, think about holding your head this way:
“With your chin held in a slightly tucked in position, imagine your head as a balloon that is floating away from your shoulders.”
Aim to keep your neck muscles as relaxed as possible.
Note: Do NOT force your head into a position that it can not naturally hold with minimum effort.
8. Forward Head Posture and breathing
The muscles which are predominantly responsible for pulling the head into the forward position are the Sternocleidomastoid and Scalene.
These muscles are also accessory muscles to your breathing.
During relaxed breathing, it is ideal to have your diaphragm muscle as your main breathing muscle.
However, with breathing inefficiencies, these accessory muscles will tend to be over active… which then can lead to your head poking forwards.
Diaphragmatic breathing
Instructions:
- Assume the position as shown above.
- Use a pillow for your neck if required.
- Remember to keep your neck completely relaxed.
- Gently flatten your tongue up to the roof of your mouth.
- Keep your mouth closed throughout this exercise.
- Breathe in: Breathe and expand into your rib cage without flaring out the bottom of the ribs at the front.
- (“imagine a ring around the lower portion of your rib cage expanding in a 360 degrees direction.”)
- Breathe out: Slowly push out ALL of the air out of your lungs
- Your lower ribs should depress and lower back flatten against the floor.
- Repeat 5 times.
9. Extra tips
Here 5 simple tips that you can implement to improve your posture.
a) Use your mobile phone properly
Optimize your head position by bringing your mobile closer up to your eye level.
(Of course – I don’t expect you to use the phone in this position absolutely 100% of the time.)
b) Change position often
Avoid staying in the same posture for too long.
Move in and out of different positions as much as you can.
Sustaining one position over a long period of time may lock your posture into position!
c) Optimize workstation ergonomics
It is next to impossible to sit with good posture if your work station is not properly set up.
It is imperative to set up the following in the correct position relative to your body:
- Position of the computer screen
- Height of the table
- Height of the chair
- Position of mouse and keyboard.
d) Avoid wearing a heavy backpack
Wearing a heavy backpack will tend to pull your upper torso forwards.
This will lead to the head poking forwards.
e) Minimize breathing through the mouth
Breathing with an open mouth tends to encourage the over-activity of the muscles that are responsible for Nerd Neck.
Keep that mouth closed!
If you have blocked sinuses that make it difficult to breathe through the nose, I would encourage you to get this sorted out as well.
f) Set up your car seat
Many head rests tend to significantly push your head forwards.
(… which I presume is a safety feature of the car?)
It will be challenging… but try your best to adjust your seat to promote a better posture.
10. Address other areas of posture
If you have persisted with the above exercises for at least 3-6 months and have seen minimal improvement in your head position, you may need to consider addressing any of the following postural issues:
a) Dowager’s Hump
The Dowager’s hump is an enlarged prominence that is formed at the lower region of the neck.
(… it’s a big bump that sits at the base of your neck!)
If you have this, it is likely a major factor that is contributing to your Forward Head Posture.
(… and is possibly limiting the effectiveness of the exercises.)
For a detailed guide on how to address this issue:
See post: Dowager’s Hump Exercises
b) Hunchback Posture (Thoracic Kyphosis)
If the thoracic spine (upper back) is hunched forwards, it can cause the head to poke forwards as well.
For a detailed guide on how to address this issue:
See post: Hunchback Posture
c) Rounded Shoulders
Having Rounded Shoulders is when the resting shoulder position is in front of the mid line of the torso.
Rounded shoulders can pull your head forwards into the Nerd Neck position.
For a detailed guide on how to address this issue:
See post: Fix Rounded Shoulders
11. Common Questions
Feel free to leave me a question in the comment section if you need any further clarification with anything mentioned on this blog post.
a) Is Forward Head Posture correctible?
Yes – it definitely is!
(… as long as the joints in your Cervical spine have not fused into position.)
c) How long does it take to fix Forward Head Posture?
You should see some improvements in your head position after 6-12 weeks of performing the recommended exercises on a consistent basis.
In some of you – you may even see immediate improvements in your posture!
c) How to correct Forward Head Posture whilst sleeping?
When sleeping on your back – do not use an overly thick pillow as this will push your head forwards.
At the same time – you do not want the pillow to be too thin either as this will provide no support for your neck. (… and may even cause more issues!)
General guideline: Use the thinnest pillow possible whilst still having your neck comfortably supported.
Conclusion
When fixing Forward Head Posture (Nerd Neck), I suspect a few of you may get a little bit discouraged in the beginning.
(.. and I completely get it!)
Your posture might not change as quickly as you’d like it to.
The plain truth is: It takes time to fix your poor posture.
My intention with this blog post was to provide you with everything that you will ever need to know to completely address this issue.
Be consistent. Stay motivated. And perform the exercises!
I hope it serves you well.
All the best!
What to do next
1. Any questions?… (Leave me a comment down below.)
2. Come join me on the Facebook page. Let’s keep in touch!
3. Start doing the exercises!
About Mark Wong:
Mark is a Physiotherapist who has been helping his patients fix their posture for the past 11 years. He created the Posture Direct blog in 2015 with the goal of helping people fix their own posture.
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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. It exists for informational purpose only. Use of the content is at your sole risk. For more information: Medical disclaimer.
Hi Mark,
I am 33 years old and have Forward Head Posture, Dowager’s Hump, and Rounded Shoulders. I feel they are all interrelated. Which issue do you suggest I work on first and is there exercises that fix all 3 issues at once?
I have been struggling with these issues for 4 years now, is there a chance the joints are fused together? What test can you recommend to test for fused joints?
Thank you and I appreciate all of your great advices.
Hi Jason,
It is very common for Forward Head Posture, Dowager’s Hump and Rounded shoulders to exist together.
From a purely posture perspective, I would address the Dowager’s Hump before specifically addressing the Forward head posture.
In regards to fused joints, you can obtain an xray to determine if there are structural reasons to suggest if the joints are fused. In most cases – the joints are just very tight!
Mark
Hi
I am 29 years old and i have serious case of forward head posture i cant even move my head straight over my shoulders like it should be.
will the exercises fix the problem completely or is it too late?
(Maybe my body just grew like this)
I have been doing your exercises for super extended knees and rounded shoulders and they are fantastic i cant thank you enough.
Hey Anthony,
Generally speaking – the longer you have had your forward head posture, the longer is takes to improve.
Keep up with the exercises! At very least – it will help prevent the forward head posture becoming more prominent.
Mark
Hi, I’m a 17 years old boy.
I have this forward head posture and i’d really like to fix it, because it makes me think I look bad and it’s probably like this.
I for sure got this posture cause of me staying in a bad position for a long time, while playing videogames and surfing on the internet.
I wanted to ask if you suggest to do all of these exercises mentioned in the blog once a day, it would not be a problem for me since i’m in summer vacation, and I recently started to do some house training cause i want to improve my body.
I hope you can let me know, thank you.
Hi there Pietro,
If your body can tolerate it, you can definitely perform the exercises every day. (Just make sure you are not too sore from the exercises the day before.)
Keep in mind – some days you can go more gentle with the exercises.
Mark
Forward head posture (FHP) is a prevalent postural fault involving a forward extending of the head compared to the body as a whole.
I am 15 years old boy and I have forward head
posture which looks very bad in tshirts and I get very anxious about it and actually I am bit concerned that all friends have normal posture but I don’t have
And exercise daily 💪 all these exercises but still can u tell me how much days will it take or what more effective exercise are there
Hi Mark,
Thanks for these exercises, they look very thorough.
What do we do if we don’t feel a stretch for exercise 2. a).?
Also if I do chin tuck with over pressure it feels like my throat is collapsing and I can’t breathe. Suggestions?
Thanks, – Andrea
Hi Andrea,
If you can’t feel this stretch, you might need to get the chin to stay in the nodded position more. Pull the back of your head downwards very gently. If you pull too much, you will not feel the stretch either.
In regards to the chin tuck with over pressure, only push as far as you can comfortably tolerate. You do not need push your chin all the way to get some benefit.
Mark
Hi Mark thanks for your reply. I’ve been doing many of these exercises for over 2 weeks now. I have always suffered from chronic tension in my upper shoulders (trapezius? levator scapulae? not sure) and it has gotten significantly worse this past week. Any ideas what is causing the increased pain? Thanks.
Hi Andrea,
Is the pain worse after performing the exercises? If so – you might need to consider going a bit more gentle with them.
Also, check to see if you have a bump at the base of your neck. (See post: Dowager’s Hump). This can make some of the exercise mentioned on this blog post a bit painful to perform.
Mark
Hi Mark,
You have given me hope. Every time I tried doing the traditional deep neck flexor muscle stretch, I was given twenty years ago, it sets off spasms in my groin area.
The neck exercises help my upper back pain but set off the spams and I then can’t sleep with the spasms.
I’m hoping if I follow your protocol this won’t happen.
I have one question, when you say “Perform the following exercises 2-3/week to gain a sense of what each exercise feels like.” Do you mean to do the routine two to three times a week or do you mean try 2-3 exercises out of the routine each week?
Thanks for giving me hope,
Nuala
I intend doing your
Hello Nuala,
I recommend performing all of the exercises mentioned in this blog post 2-3 per week.
As you gain a sense of which exercises are most helpful for you, you can start to focus on them and less on the others.
Remember – go slow and gentle. The body can be quite reactive if you have been experiencing your symptoms for a long time.
All the best!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks so much for getting back to me, I am very appreciative.
All the best,
Nuala
Hey Mark,
It seems that trying to keep my head back closer to my body feels like it’s crushing my throat and I find it a lot more difficult to breath and get air through my neck.
If my head is in a slightly forward position i no longer have that throat tension when i breath.
Can you please explain that to me?
Thanks!
Hey Josh,
Your upper back and/or lower neck region is likely rounding forwards which pushes your head forwards. If you force your chin back without addressing the upper back and/or neck, you’ll get a squashing feel in the throat.
What you can do in addition the exercises mentioned in this blog post is to address the upper back and lower neck.
Check out these blog posts:
– Dowager’s Hump
– Hunchback Posture
All the best!
Mark
A forward-head posture is just stupid. So many people talk well in respect of it, yet I don’t see anything special about it.
Hi Mark,
Some great exercises but I have question. I have mild tinnitus which is progressing and my hearing test showing hearing loss at high frequency. Do you have any suggested massage/fascial release exercises for the muscles such as the SCM, etc? Given 10-15% of the population has tinnitus a post with exercises would be fantastic. Thanks! Dave Meltzer
Hey Dave,
Good to see you on the blog and on the facebook page!
The main technique I like to do on the SCM is the pinch release technique. But in terms of a fascial release technique, I like to use my fist to glide the SCM in an upwards direction towards the base of the skull.
You can see both of these techniques explained here.
Mark
Hello mark teacher,
First of all, thank you very much for taking care of us and establishing such a site. It’s really comprehensive and organized. By the way, I use ”google translate”, sorry if I wrote something wrong. I have a lot of postural problems: Forward Head Posture,Rounded Shoulders ,scheuermann disease,Flared Ribs , Anterior Pelvic Tilt and mild scoliosis. The physiotherapists I’ve been to so far just distracted me and took my money. My age is 19. If you don’t mind, can I post some photos and x-rays? Your site is very comprehensive, but these problems confused me. Should I go in order? Which problem should I solve first? Or should I apply a hybrid program? I’m really confused. What program would you recommend? Thank you so much for reading this far. Someone like you is truly a blessing. Sorry if I’ve been disrespectful.
Respects
I just saw it, the commenter below is almost the same as me. Sorry for asking the same question. But I have no idea how to prepare a hybrid program. What would you recommend?
Hi Ahmet,
In terms of what to address first – this really depends on your goals. Are you addressing your posture because it is closely associated with symptoms that you are experiencing? If so – where are your symptoms?
I see you have mentioned you have Scheuermann’s disease. There may be a limit as to how much you can influence change in the thoracic spine due to this condition. That being said, I would still encourage you to do as much as you can to address this area. (See post: Hunchback Posture and Thoracic Spine Stretches). For a majority of people, the body will compensate for a thoracic spine that is habitually orientated into a flexed position.
Once you feel you have achieved as much as you can with the thoracic spine, you can start to address the other areas.
Mark
As far as I can tell I’ve got significant forward head, rounded shoulders, hunchback, flared ribs, and a little bit of APT. I saw you said you should go one at a time. Should I start at the bottom and work my way up?
I’d like to make significant progress over the next 3-6 months and I don’t want to get stuck working on my APT when my thoracic spine and forward head posture is what worries me the most, but I also don’t want to work on my upper back/neck if my hips are the root of my problems.
For reference, I’m 20 years old and I’m willing to put in 15-20 minutes a day plus working out to fix this. Thanks in advance!
Hey Chase,
You can focus on multiple areas at once as long as you are getting the most out of the exercise for each area.
If your thoracic spine is hunched forwards, this is an area I would focus on first as it can help with APT, rounded shoulders and forward head posture. Keep in mind – you can still work on the other areas too.
MArk
Hi Mark,
How would you approach these routines if I have more than four of these postural problems? Should I focus on one at a time or should I try to fix all of them simultaneously?
Thanks!
Hey David,
I would start with one at a time. Get it as good as you can. Then move onto the next one (if required).
Mark
Hi Mark,
Quick question: What is happening to the spine when I hear creaking/grinding noise when turning my head (no pain), and should these exercises help?
Thanks!
Hi Justin,
This is known as Crepitus. (Largely harmless is most people, but in my opinion, not ideal.)
Addressing forward head posture may help to reduce the noise made when turning your head.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I noticed when doing one of your exercises: Front of Neck (Lower Cervical Spine) – it get painful for me at the base of my dowager’s hump. The further upwards I look with a chin tucked in – the more prominent the pain becomes. I do not feel any stretch on the front side. Although, I can look upwards (without a chin tucked in) without any pain. What could be an issue with the pain? Is that common with people with dowager’s hump? Could it be due to misaligned bones in the spinal vertibrae? I am fairly young.
Hi Dim,
This is a common issue.
When you keep your chin slightly tucked throughout neck extension, this encourages more movement in the lower neck region where the hump is. If this hump is fairly tight, you may experience some pain as you look upwards. If this is the case – I would focus on more of the Decompression techniques as mentioned on this blog post. As the lower beck region becomes more mobile, this will allow the head/neck to assume the position to be able to stretch the front of the lower neck region.
Mark
Hello!
I’m trying to correct my forward head. I have a concern though. When I do them, I don’t always feel them in the areas you specify. I’ll feel the pull into my shoulders and my upper back. Is this okay?
Hi Emily,
Which specific exercise are you referring to?
Mark
Trying to align my ears and shoulders as I type this, haha. I did the “chin tilt” a few times and it really loosened up my neck and felt great. While at first it felt like a good stretch, the next morning, the muscle at the base of the skull/top of neck felt kind of tired with a very light kind of burning and tingly/prickly sensation. Did I overdo it? Or is this normal for having kind of never really stretched that muscle before/in a very long time? It’s not painful, just a weird sensation. It feels like it’s moving sometimes when I chew as well!
Hey Kris,
It is common to get a bit of soreness/discomfort after starting these exercises. If the pain is quite severe, you may have over did it as your head/neck is not used to this new position yet. (Don’t worry, it gets much easier the more you do it!)
Monitor it over the next few days. It should go down. Then hit it again with some exercises. Perhaps you can cut down the intensity by 20% and see how your body responds. A bit of trial and error in the beginning.
Good luck!
Mark
Hi again Mark,
The sensation itself is now mostly gone, but woke up with a bit of neck stiffness and soreness + light headache instead (probably because I tried changing my sleeping position/posture too). I’ll share what I did during the day yesterday since I think it helped.
1. Lightly rest both hands around the side of neck so your arms kind of form a similar pose to the one in your “chin tuck with pressure” picture, but with index/middle fingers on the back of the neck and massage the back of the neck by lightly pressing with your fingers, rotating each finger in clockwise/counter clockwise direction 5-10 times before moving up/down to the next spot on the neck, the lowest point being shoulder level and highest being where the skull and neck meet.
2. In a similar pose, but this time slightly tilt your chin and look upwards around 20-30 degrees, move your hands up so that your jaw can kind of lean on your hands without activating any of the muscles in your neck, so they can relax a little bit. A variant to this I did was clasping both hands together behind the neck or head and making the “Spider-man hand”, resting the head on the pinkie finger. This was more to give the muscles a chance to relax instead of constantly lifting the head.
3. Gently moving the head in a very slow nodding motion, starting from looking straight forwards to looking upwards around 20-30 degrees, with 1 or both hands cupped in an upside-down U shape behind the head as support.
I did these for 20-30 seconds each every 20 minutes or so throughout the day, helped relax my neck a bit, though some of these do put your neck into the forward-ish position… Not sure if there’s any science to it, but I thought I’d just share.
It was also a good reminder that I sometimes tense up my neck muscles so it also worked to remind me to “let go” and try to reset myself. If you have any other light neck stretches that relieve pressure or relax it I might try them too!
I’ll take it easy for the next few days and try trimming your numbers down when I start again
Kris
Mark! I wish you phenomenal success in your work in 2022!
Three Cheers to you!!!
Many thanks Alex!
Mark
Hello Mark! I’ve been doing these exercises for about a week and a half now for my military neck and I’ve definitely loosened up a lot and my neck is looking a lot better but the back of my neck is pretty much constantly sore now, not like very painful but bruisy. is that normal or am I overdoing it?
Hey Amanda,
If the pain is in the muscle, it is likely that you can continue the exercises as you are doing them.
If the pain is in the bone (central pain), then you might be jamming the joints and will need to ease back on the intensity for some of the exercises (especially the chin tucks and/or neck extension based exercises)
All the best,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Can Osteopenia/Osteoporosis cause forward head posture and kyphosis? In that case, are these exercises still effective in treating FHP, or would the osteoporosis prevent recovery since the bone in the spine and neck can’t strengthen?
Thanks,
TI
Hi there,
Osteoporosis can cause Thoracic Kyphosis (and reactive Forward head posture) due to anterior wedging of the vertebra in the thoracic spine.
Unfortunately – once this forms, there is going to be a limit as to how much you can change since there is structural change to the actual shape of the bone.
However – the exercise can help minimize the amount of curve occurring in the upper back.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I don’t have thoracic kyphosis. My thoracic spine is normal according to my doctor. Is there a different way osteoporosis can cause nerd neck?
Thank you.
Hi,
You can also form hyperkyphosis in the lower cervical spine which will also lead to Forward head posture/Nerd neck.
It could originate from osteoporosis but in most cases it stems from poor postural habits.
Mark
Hey Mark,
So i’ve mentioned before that i had a twisted pelvis to the left, which has made my upper body kind of side bend to the left, which has made my neck muscles on the right side very tight.
I’ve been addressing all these issues and i’ve seen a lot of improvement thanks to your posts.
The last thing i’m confused about is now that i can get my body in a more straight and symmetrical posture from foot to shoulders is my neck. When i stand straight and look to my left my neck stays in a neutral position. But when i turn my head to the RIGHT my neck kind of extends out towards that right shoulder.
Can you give me some tips on how to keep my head and neck more neutral when turning it right? Is there like a chin tuck exercise that focuses only on my right side to keep my head from extending right? I probably have to stretch the right side as well because of tightness.
Thanks Mark
Hey Josh,
Great to see you are responding to your exercises.
In regards to your neck, I am having some problems picturing what you described. Do you have a video of this? Or can you explain it another way? Either way – it is likely due to an imbalance between the left and right side.
Mark
Thank you so much for sharing this information. I’ve had chronic headaches and migraines for years and only realized this year that I have forward head posture. I’ve been doing these exercises for only a month now but they have helped my neck and head pain in a major way already. Thank you!!
Hi Eve,
Glad to hear that your neck and head pain is starting it improve with the exercises.
I suspect that your symptoms will continue to improve as you correct your posture with the exercises!
Mark
Hi Mark,
I want to buy the same resistance band that I see you using for the “Self neck traction” instructions. Will you send me the link?
Thanks for the help!
Hey Daniel,
I believe it is the Iron Edge Power band.
Mark
Hey mark,
I’ve been doing your other blog exercises to fix my rotated pelvis, (it rotates left) my mild scoliosis, my flared rib cage (right side) and my one rounded shoulder (right shoulder). I’ve slowly been starting to feel more symmetrical.
Now my scoliosis and my tight rotated shoulder over the years have really seemed tighten the right side of my neck. Whenever i turn my head to my right i feel a lot of tightness and it feels like muscles are kind of clicking and snapping. no pain. When I turn my head to the left it feels completely normal.
My question is how do I focus on only the right side of my neck? Should I strengthen it or just stretch it? Both? It feels like I have “text neck” on just my right side if that makes any sense.
Thanks Mark
Hey Josh,
The head/neck position is likely as a response to what is happening with your torso.
If your pelvis is rotated to the left, chances are that the right side of your body will try to compensating by attempting to counter rotate towards the right direction.
To address this – you can stretch out the right side of your neck to create more space on that side. Ultimately – you’ll need to unwind the torso to a more neutral position to allow the head to sit more centrally.
It sounds like you are on the right track by addressing the flared ribs, rotated pelvis and scoliosis.
Mark
Hi Mark!
So I have been following your informative article here on how to fix Forward Head/Shoulders posture, but I have a question – I have had Forward Head and Shoulder posture for years, and have now been following your guide for at least a couple months now, but I have found that my head is still being pulled forward with very strong force, despite doing all the releases, stretches, and strengthening exercises. What could be the cause of seeing little to no progress after all my efforts thus far?
Thanks!
Hey David,
Thanks for the comment.
Have you checked to see if your upper spine is flexed forwards? (see post: Hunchback posture)
This posture tends keep your head and shoulders forwards despite doing exercises specifically for these areas.
Mark
Hi mark
I’m Ali , I’m 27 years old and I have a chronic disk c5 c6 for 2 years so I have pain between my blades and my Physiotherapist said that a scapular dyskinesis ( winging medial scapula ) but my Neurosurgery doctor said its a nerve damage so he told me I must do only isometric neck exercises , I did some exercises for my neck but its flat now and it didn’t change , could you help me ?
thanks
Hi Ali,
If you would like to address your winging, feel free to have a look at this post: Winged Scapula.
If you would like to address the pain between the shoulders, this post: Rhomboid muscle pain should help.
Mark
After doing the exercises I feel pain in the back of the neck.
It might be because of the chin tuck exercises.
Does this mean I’m too aggressive?
Also I have identified 5 or 6 posture problems that I think I have.
I do weight training 3 days a week and planning to do posture routines on the of days.
Should I focus on fixing one posture problem at a time and do it more consistent and then go on to the next or should I focus on several problems at once but do them more seldom?
Hey Rasmus,
Perhaps you are starting at too high of intensity to begin with. Drop back by 30% and see if that helps. If in doubt- please check with a health professional in person.
In terms of addressing multiple areas, my suggestion would be just to focus on one. Once you feel you have done as much as you can for that one area, move onto the next.
Mark
I’ve now done this routine a couple of times now and tried to be a bit gentler with it because I can sometimes feel it hurt a bit in my neck. I did the routine yesterday and didn’t really notice any pain, but today I feel very intense stabbing pain which makes me afraid to move and I can’t tilt my head to the right side at all. I’m not sure what the muscle is called exactly but it’s deep in the back of the neck on the right side.
I sometimes feel pain in that muscle when doing the Anterior scalene stretch.
I’m not sure how to proceed from here.
Hey Rasmus,
It is hard to give specific recommendations without assessing you.
Do you know which exact exercise might be flaring up the pain?
Mark
Hi Mark, thanks for the great article! I’m definitely adding these into my routine to fix my forward head posture.
I’ve noticed my head when resting tilts back, and I have to purposefully correct it by tilting the chin down and straightening the neck.
Is this typical of forward head posture, or could it be a sign of something else?
Thank you!
Sam
Hey Sam,
You are describing the “kinking back” of the neck. This should improve as you progress with the exercises mentioned on the blog post.
Mark
You have an area that says, “As this exercise becomes easier, challenge yourself with the following exercise progressions…” If I’m feeling ready to challenge myself, am I supposed to skip the previous ones or am I supposed to do them first? I’m talking about on the same day.
You can still perform the easier exercises as a warm up. Then move onto the more advanced ones as you see fit.
Mark
Regarding the “Chin tuck with over pressure”, I’m not sure if I’m doing it correctly. Where should I feel this stretch? Thanks
Hey there,
You should aim to feel a stretch at the back of your neck. (But don’t force it if you can’t feel it)
Mark
Hello Mark
I was wondering whether this kind of device is appropriate to use instead of the band or using your hands (as shown in another exercise) for self neck traction.
I find the band hard to manage and can’t master the self head pull either. I don’t have any contraindications, and when I get someone else to do the head pulling as per your instructions, I find it really helps. It’s just that I can’t manage to do it myself!
Hi Sarah,
Yes – this machine is fine to use providing that there are no contraindications.
Mark
Hello,
Is it possible to correct forward head posture if your jaw is very recessed? Whenever I jut my mandible forward my head immediately falls into a much further back position with the back of my head going up and my neck stretching out. However, this is obviously impossible to maintain. It seems like even if I correct any standing muscular problems it will be physically impossible for me to move my head back past a certain point because it hits my neck. Is this a reasonably correct idea of the anatomy or am I missing something?
Hey BD,
If your lower jaw is retracted, it is common to feel a blocking sensation in the throat region when you retract your head position.
If this is the case, you might need to consider performing jaw protractions, address tongue posture (it should sit flat on the roof of mouth) and making sure you are not breathing through your mouth (mouth taping can help with this)
Mark
Such great info, thank you! Do you think chiropractic is helpful for FHP? I saw a chiro who is recommending a plan with a lot of what you suggest above, but also adjustments 2x/week to start, eventually tapering off to less regular sessions. I’m interested but not clear how helpful the adjustments are.
Hey Abigail,
Being guided by a health professional is always going to beneficial.
Manipulations might help some of the exercise be more effective.
Mark
Hi mark I wonder if you can help me I have sore upper traps and I think levatir scaps aswell. My heap resting position is almost looking up to the sky the back of my neck is so scrunched up and sore I can’t look down without bending my back essentially. The left side is the worse side with scapula winging. Im doing low trap and serrated anterior exercises but my shoulders always hunch up with certain movements.
Suppose my question is does poor scapula control cause poor neck posture or the other way around? Really need help thanks
Hey Andrew,
It goes both ways. The scapula can affect the neck and the neck can affects the scapula.
It sounds like you may need to address rounded shoulders and perhaps thoracic hyperkyphosis as well.
Mark
Hi Mark!
Great article, really helpful!
Just a question:
Do you know approximately how long does it takes to see results? If you do these exercise 3-4 times a week.
Hi Vito,
It really depends on how tight your structures are. Tighter they are, the more time it will require.
Generally speaking – you should be able to see results within the first few weeks!
Mark
Does chin tuck against gravity excercises work? This excercises feels lot easier so i am using weights to the excercises,is it good to use weights?re
Hi there,
Chin tucks against gravity uses the weight of the head as resistance.
If you have a strong neck, you can consider using weights as well.
Mark
Hi Mark!
This is great!
I want to start doing these exercises but I have bulging discs in my cervical spine, with a lot of intense pain. I know I also have forward head posture and seriously rounded shoulders. Is it safe to do these exercises? I really want to start getting my posture back to normal.
Thanks!
Hi Isabella,
Generally – yes, they should be safe. (Make sure each exercise is pain-free and comfortable)
… But if you ever have any concerns, I would recommend that you talk to your healthcare provider just to make sure.
If you have nerve impingement issues associated with the disc bulges in the cervical spine, check out this post:
Exercises for a pinched nerve in the neck.
All the best.
Mark
Mark,
Thank you for answering my previous question about neck extension and breathing. I have a related, follow-up question.
As you pointed out in your answer to my previous question, there are breathing benefits from the chain reaction that comes from the chest and rib cage wall opening up when I extend my neck. I know you present the ideal sitting posture as being in a straight line. I can achieve this same lineup but with a few modifications to allow for neck extension. I notice that when I extend my neck, my sternum points up instead of down and my sacral curves inward rather than outward. Also, I notice my lats concave outward instead of inward. All of these modifications result in the most beneficial breathing and flexibility.
Do you know of any studies that address this kind of posture? I am happy to send you a picture to clarify, but I realize your blog won’t currently allow commenters to post images.
Thank you!
Oh instead of concave out I meant to say my lats convex.
Hey Sunith,
It sounds like you are describing an extended posture. (Neck extension, chest up, rib flare, arched lower back, pelvis tilting forwards.) aka “Military posture”.
This is essentially the exact opposite of slouching and is great position to adopt from time to time. I would caution that you wouldn’t want to maintain this extended posture over prolonged periods of time as it involves quite a bit of muscular over activity to maintain.
I don’t know of a specific study but it makes sense why you might have a better ability to breathe.
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for responding so quickly. I understand how a “military posture” can be unhealthy if held all the time. But I wanted to clarify that my extended neck posture is actually my relaxed, resting position. While my hip flexors do get a bit tight after sitting at a desk for hours, I am definitely not arching my lower back. In fact, due to the chain reaction of my neck extending plus my lats convexing, my hips are actually tucked under more. As a result, I am sitting taller while still feeling natural and relaxed.
I also notice that with some mind-muscle-connection, I can rotate and tilt my head and neck back and forth, up and down, left and right, all without my traps rising up and intersecting. Without the traps intersecting, I can extend my neck back and to its full length. I do realize this is hard to describe, so I would like to send you a few pictures for illustration. May I send them to you through an email address, social media, or elsewhere on your website?
Hey Sunith,
Feel free to link your images through the comment section. (I will be able to view it, but it won’t show up in your comment for public to see)
Mark
Hi Mark,
Here are some example gifs, I hope the links work.
“I notice that with some mind-muscle-connection, I can rotate and tilt my head and neck back and forth, up and down, left and right, all without my traps rising up and intersecting. Without the traps intersecting, I can extend my neck back and to its full length.”
“I wanted to clarify that my extended neck posture is actually my relaxed, resting position. While my hip flexors do get a bit tight after sitting at a desk for hours, I am definitely not arching my lower back. In fact, due to the chain reaction of my neck extending plus my lats convexing, my hips are actually tucked under more. As a result, I am sitting taller while still feeling natural and relaxed.”
These are positions I am able to maintain in a relaxed state, I am wondering what your thoughts are on my posture is this something you have seen before?
Hey Sunith,
I had a quick look at your images. (keep in mind – the links have been removed in your comment)
Looks like you are not quite in the typical military posture as I had mentioned before, but it does resemble one to a lesser extent.
This posture will open up and decompress your front line of the body which can help with breathing. As long as you are not over arching or using your back line muscles and you feel comfortable, this position is fine to be in. Although, looks like your head is angled upwards which might be difficult for you to maintain if you are doing something that is right in front of you (eg. computer). If you could maintain this posture whilst keeping the chin slightly nodded, this might help.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I am very passionate about posture and appreciate your website. Over the past few years, I have done exercises to transform my body and posture. I am able to align myself in the ideal sitting posture you recommend (straight line). But I feel my best posture occurs when my neck is further back and extended to its full length. This neck position opens up my chest and trachea, creating a noticeable improvement to my breathing. When I extend my neck back, my hips naturally rotate forward slightly, and this helps my spine feel more stable and relaxed.
(I think neck and head position may be the key to combating forward-head posture).
I am wondering if you are familiar with how backward neck extension improves posture and breathing? Have you worked with anyone who has had a similar experience?
Hey Sunith,
Extending the neck can cause a extension chain reaction in your posture where the chest opens up at the front, shoulders pull back and pelvis tilts forwards.
In terms of breathing, the opening of the chest and the rib cage wall may help with deeper inhalation as the whole area is able to expand easier.
It is quite common to see improvements in breathing in people whose compressed ribs are able to move better.
Mark
Hi Mark.
My daughter has been noticing my bad posture and FHP recently. I’ve Just found your very comprehensive blog. I’m about to start following all the advice and exercises. Im sure that they will help with the bad posture. However, I’m also very embarrassed and concerned about my head shaking when it’s in a certain position. Is there any likelihood that these two conditions could be linked? (I’m in my early 70s but very active). I’m feeling very uncomfortable in social situations because of the tremor. Any advice you could offer me would be very gratefully received. Many thanks Mark. Sylvia.
Hi Sylvia,
It is possible that the shaking may be due to weakness (and perhaps over use) of certain muscles.
If I were to guess, the posterior neck muscles are probably the ones causing the shake.
If this is the case, addressing forward head posture (and thus, strengthening deep neck flexors which means less reliance on posterior neck muscles) should help with the tremor.
If not – I would ask the doctor for a neurological assessment to rule out any nerve involvement.
Mark
In addition to a slight forward head posture (and rounded shoulders), my chin is tilted down. Whereas in your “good posture” photos you are looking straight ahead, I naturally look below eye level.
I believe that this is causing pain in the upper part of my cervical spine. Is this a fair assessment, and do you have any suggestions to fix it? It’s possible that holding my phone too low is one cause.
Together with rounded shoulders and forward head posture, the 3 issues cause daily pain from my neck down to middle thoracic spine.
Thanks Mark!
Hi Jaidev,
Generally speaking – the body will always try to maintain a horizontal gaze. This is why the head will usually kink backwards especially when your body is slouching.
If you naturally look below eye level, this would make me believe that you must be quite flexed somewhere along your spine. (Eg. Dowager’s hump, Thoracic kyphosis)
Using your phone too low can definitely encourage this posture and cause the said symptoms.
Mark
Hi Mark!
I have recently gone to the chiropractor to get my neck fixed. I had whiplash several years ago, and my neck is straight rather than curved. However, now that the curve is coming back, all of my postural issues are starting to really show. I have forward head posture as well as dowager’s hump, and also rounded shoulders and hunchback posture. I’m a bit overwhelmed with where to start. I know I need to work on forward head posture and do some dowager’s hump exercises, but should I start with just these and then address rounded shoulders and hunchback?
Thank you for your help! I’m so glad I stumbled on this blog. You’re doing some great work here.
Hey Carly,
Work on the forward head posture and dowager’s hump to begin with.
Take that as far as you can, then move onto the Rounded shoulders. And so on.
All the best.
Mark
Hi Mark
For forward head posture – i have a straight cervical spine (military neck) as seen on xrays done by my chiropractor
i do chin tucks.
should i use a cervical pillow in bed?
what do you think about these cervical traction devices that you lie on with your neck and they stretch your neck backwards, if that makes sense, similar to a back stretcher?
Many Thanks
Adam
Hi Adam,
Cervical pillows are fine to use. (just make sure that is it comfortable!)
Traction is also a great way to decompress the neck.
Mark
Hi Mark
Do you think forward head posture can lead to headaches?
sorry i meant tinnitus, no headaches!
Hey Aquest,
This is possible.
However- tinnitus is one of those conditions that can be caused by quite a few of other things as well!
Mark
Thank you, Mark. This routine has been tremendous in improving my posture. Been doing it 3-4 times a week.
What would you say are the most important exercises in this program if I were to do it daily? I plan to complete a FULL routine every second day, and combine it with a half routine.
I think for my half-routine day – I would start from #4: Chin Nods and skip releases and mobility exercises. Would you say it’d be a right choice?
Thank you
Hey Dim,
It is perfectly fine to do focus on the chin nods.
Over time – you will gain a good understanding of which exercises your body tends to respond to. Focus on those.
Mark
Hi, what kind of resistance band are you using in the self neck traction picture?
Thanks
Hey Mat,
It is called a power band. (think of a very big/thick rubber band)
Mark
Hey! I know I have Forward Head Posture. And I will clear it by this article.
I just wanted to know if this posture can cause headaches?
Added: I asked this because I had one yesterday and keeping my head straight (neck in the proper posture) reduced the headache.
Hi Deep,
Forward head posture can be related to headaches.
Mark
To do the chin tuck throughout the day, can I first lower my head, tuck my chin in then raise my head ?
Or should I hold my head straight directly then tuck in ?
I feel like the first one works better but is it wrong ?
Hey Nolan,
Yes – you can lower your head first then retract and elongate from here.
This is completely fine especially if the lower back of your neck is quite curved forwards. (See Dowager’s Hump)
Mark
Hi Mark,
Great post. I have really bad forward head posture and need to start doing these exercises. I’m a chef so stand all day at work
Do you have any other tips about how to keep posture good whole while working standing up?
Cheers
Hi Will,
Are you tall by any chance? If so – working on low benches could be a problem! If there is no way to increase the height of your work bench, I would suggest that you spread the legs so that your height is lowered.
Keep changing positions as often as you can. For example, look up every so often, roll your shoulders, walk around to break up the prolonged standing etc.
Work on Rounded shoulders. Check out this post: Exercises for Rounded shoulders.
Try to avoid flaring out the elbows to the side. Ideally – you would want to elbows to remain pointing towards the floor. This will help keep a better position of the shoulder.
Mark
I find that if I do too many cat/cows where you extend and flex the neck, I get tight suboccipitals. What is the way to balance between strengthening and not doing too much? also, with chin nods, which I know is the first step, I find I super way recruit the SCM first so my movements are almost 2 mm at most. Will this still be beneficial?? Also, I find my eyes feel very strained/watery as I have tight SCM and suboccipitals but I dont want to stretch since I’m hypermobile. What would be my options?
thank you for all this great work and detail.
question.. i have a slight narrow on right c5/c6 been to about 4 diffrent PTs over the past 4 years. I greatly miss doing resistance training .. and really really need to get back there. some of the PT included exercises that you are showing.. I did try traction on myself with over the door device.. it helped but then my PT told me to stop..she said i was “overstretching” ? how do i know where to start or what to do. also very slight scoliosis on spine so the right trap is a bit lower than the left. the last PT said this was my problem but it hasn’t been a problem in all my 53 yrs. I over lifted and causes this” injury” not sure what to call it. I would be very very grateful if you might be able to provide any suggestion where to start to get relief and to start on the mend so i can lift weight again.. thank you!
Hi Cheri,
If your symptoms are directly related to the narrowing of the right foramina of the C5/6, stretching your head towards the left should help “open” up the right side of your neck.
Traction should help to a degree as well.
If you have uneven shoulders (right being lower than the left), you can try some exercises to help improve your scoliosis.
See post: Scoliosis exercises.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have forward head posture and noticed recently that when I tuck my chin, my right sternocleidomastoid gets very large. It does also to some degree on my left, but my right side gets embarrassingly large. I’ve been trying massage techniques the last few days, but so far nothing seems to make it reduce in size. Do you think this is a temporary issue as my neck gets used to the new posture?
Thanks!
Hi Susan,
Is it possible that your head is also slightly rotating towards the left as you chin tuck? This would make the right SCM tense up more so.
With the chin nod exercise, you don’t want to rely on the SCMs to produce this movement especially when there is no resistance. (It should be mainly the Deep neck flexors)
Try to reduce the amount of chin tuck that you are doing whilst still keep the SCMs relatively relaxed.
Mark
Hi – I have forward head, hunched shoulders, and anterior pelvic tilt. Does it make more sense to start with one of these over the others? Thanks.
Hey Rakel,
It is fine to start any where. But if you have any symptoms, I would recommend starting in that area first.
Mark
Hey Mark,
I just want to say, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I’ve been doing this routine and the dowager’s hump routine religiously for about 2-3 months now, and HOLY CRAP has it changed my spine and posture.
My dowager’s hump is near non-existent, my shoulders have retracted, my neck has much more mobility and is closer to the wall when I stand back, and I now stand taller than before. I feel so much more confident and my family told me I look taller too.
I’m still early on this journey but BECAUSE OF YOU, i’ve made tremendous results. I’ve struggled with this for years. I’m really, really grateful for your insight. You’ve truly changed my life. THANK YOU!
Hey John,
That’s fantastic to hear!
And this is only after 2-3 months. Imagine how you are going to feel/look in another 2-3 months!
Thanks for your awesome comment. Appreciate it!
Mark
Hello Mark
Thank you so much for you post, many years i did so many different kind of exercises, i’ve seen doctors, chiropractors, physiology therapist, no one can fix my forward head.
I am doing your exercise just for ten days, i can feel the difference already.
I still feel tense and tight around my shoulder and arm, will this exercise get rid of it or do i need to do shoulder exercise? Please advice
thanks
Hey Choii,
Great to hear there is a difference in the past 10 days!
If your tension is in the shoulder/arm, you might need to address that as well.
If you are like the majority of people, you will benefit from this post: Rounded shoulders.
Good luck!
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have forward head posture amongst other things. I know it can be caused from tight neck muscles and weak back muscles. I have done chin tucks before though I just don’t like doing them. About 98% of the medical community prescribe them. I was going to restart doing them until I read an article from a PT who had studies to back it up said it could damage your spinal cord. He basically says: A reverse curve in the neck (cervical kyphosis), can cause the spinal cord to stretch and shear. Doing a chin tuck with a reverse curve can tear the spinal cord up! Worse part yet to come, our spinal cord doesn’t always feel what is happening. You can damage it daily for years with out knowing.
2. Excessive mid back rounding (upper cross syndrome) while doing chin tucks is pointless. Fix the rounding first then focus on the neck. Can you tell me your thoughts? Also, do you have any exercises for pectus excavatum.
Thank you for your time, Lil
Hey Lil,
Chin tucks are a great exercise. But at the same time, they are not the answer to EVERY neck issue.
A cervical kyphosis is seen in a forward head posture. The goal with the chin tuck is to restore a more optimal alignment of the cervical spine and restore the normal lordosis. I’m not sure about tearing up the spinal cord? (Of course – every neck will need to be assessed independently)
You should address forward head posture along side thoracic hyperkyphosis.
I recommend checking out this blog post for exercises to address the mid back rounding: Hunchback posture.
Mark
Hi Mark,
First of all – you are a tremendous resource and I am grateful for all of the information you make available to individuals with need. I have a history of chronic shoulder pain (left side), driven (I believe) by a winging scapula. I believe I have both a forward head posture and rounded shoulders.
My question to you is – generally, which disorder (FHP vs. rounded shoulders) is best to address first? For context, I have been through the PT process numerous times and seem to get better and then digress as soon as I go back to sedentary work.
Any insight would help.
Thank you so much.
Hey Roie,
You can start with either and see how the body reacts.
Perhaps start with the shoulders and see how that pans out.
Mark
Hi Mark!
First of all, your site has been changing my life, and i’m so grateful for this blog and all of your tips!
Second, what if you’re a pianist and you spend most of your time looking down? Though I have had my posture fixed for performance and practice, I still feel like it’s enforcing the forward head. Any thoughts?
Hey John!
If your sitting posture can not be changed whilst playing the piano, you will just need to balance it with some postural exercises/stretches.
In terms of looking down, you can still sit up right and look down without having your whole posture stoop forwards.
Mark
HI Mark!
I would really like your help! My daughter has forward head posture and it’s pulling her jaw back and down. When she forces her head up her jaw is fine. Is this the result of tight muscles from the forward head posture ? What should we do ?
Hey Monica,
The forward head posture can sometimes lead to the lower back retracting backwards (and causing an over bite) and a natural slight opening of the mouth. This can force the jaw muscle to hold the mouth closed and result in tension in the jaw muscles. Is this what your daughter has?
If the jaw improves as the head position improves, I would say addressing the forward head posture will help fix the jaw issue. Of course – there could be local issues in the jaw that might need to be addressed as welll.
If you would like some jaw exercises, head over to this post. (scroll down to the Jaw section)
Mark
Hi Mark, I have a curved spine , dowager’s hump and jutting head. I am trying to work through your exercises which are fab, thank you. Lockdown time helps. It is taking a long time because I gave to scroll down through the extensive page info . So, the question is , do you have a list of exercises with suggested times and reps on one handy sheet that I can print off and clutch as all the sitting and scrolling reduces the time I have to do the job! Many , many thanks
Hey Tracy,
Unfortunately – I don’t have all of these exercises on one page. Perhaps a pdf might help.
Good idea! Thanks for the input.
Mark
Hey Mark,
I love all the info you’ve provided to help me with my issues. But one quick question…who or what doctor should I see first for help with my issues?? I don’t want to waste my time or someone else’s time. I’ve been trying to do this on my own (fix my issues) but after a few months I’m still getting no results. I have lower back problems and had a job where I was constantly looking down at an iPad while I was standing. I wasn’t really thinking about my posture at the time which was dumb of me. This has lead to me slumping forward with my upper back and now my head is slumped down. It’s so bad that it has lead to my neck being unable to lift my head up or turn my head from side to side. That has made driving very dangerous for me as well as other drivers on the road. And there’s alot of pain with it as well. My wife says the muscles in my upper back and the back of my neck are as hard as cement. When I try to stand up straight against a wall, my shoulder blades and head are so far from the wall it’s scary. My body stops touching the wall around the middle of my back, then everything above that is way forward. I’ve tried so much but I’m still stuck with this problem. I’ve given up trying to do this on my own and need professional help. So if you have any info you can provide me with who I should see right away I would greatly appreciate it. Sorry for the long message but I do thank you for your time.
Brandan
Hey Brandan,
Sounds like you have a hunched back?
For more info: How to fix a hunch back posture
A physical therapist would be a great professional to see! But you also will get good success from chiropractors, osteopaths etc as well
Mark
Hello, i have a straight neck that is shown from x- ray. I have pain in the middle of the neck, imbalance while walking, dizziness. Please what kind of exercises should i do to improve my condition?
Hey Ergest,
A straight neck means you have lost the natural lordosis in your neck. This is characteristic of a Forward Head Posture.
These exercises should help with that.
In regards to your dizziness, best to get this checked out by your doctor to make sure it is not coming other issues such as in the brain, ears, blood work etc
Mark
Will a posture correction brace help too? If so, do you know which ones you recommend?
Thanks
Hi Crystal,
They can help in the short term.
I don’t really recommend it though!
Mark
What is the cause of the pain at the base of the neck that you mention in item 3.a “Neck Mobility”? I have this pain and wonder which muscles are responsible for it?
Hi Abdulrahman,
Rectus Capitis Posterior Major/Minor,
Obliquus capitis superior/inferior,
Upper traps
Semispinalis capitis
Mark
Thanks for replying. Another question, how often do you recommend doing the exercises above? Once a day? can doing them twice a day (once in the morning and once at night) give faster results or is an overkill?
Hi there,
2/day is great if your body is able to tolerate it.
Mark
Hi,
When I do the ‘double chin’ exercises, I have a click when swallowing/difficulty swallowing. What is the cause of this? Will it eventually go away?
Thanks.
Hi there,
You don’t want to hold a double chin position at the END RANGE and swallow.
This will block the normal movement of the swallowing action.
Mark
Mark, i am very thankful to you. Lots of changes in my posture has already happened I have been following your methods for about an year.
Many thanks for updating and including new exercises this year.
Thank you again.
Hey Alim,
Thanks for coming back and leaving me a comment.
Glad you liked the new exercises!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Do you think chiropractic helps correcting forward head posture?
Thanks
Hey Bucke,
Yes – I would always recommend seeing a health professional.
Mark
Hi Mark,
What is the reason for flattening the tongue against the roof of the mouth in the diaphragmatic breathing exercise?
Additionally, where should the tongue be at rest? I have come across people stating improper tongue position can lead to forward head posture.
Best,
Ben
Hey Ben,
In regards to the tongue position – There are many different thoughts about this, but essentially I use it to help reduce tension in the superficial muscles of the neck (namely the Sternocleidamastoid and Scalenes) as this is a common driver of the forward head posture.
These same muscles are called “Accessory breathing muscles” which are recruited during labored breathing. It is more of an issue if you recruit these muscles during relaxed normal breathing.
Mark
Hello Mark,
I started doing the Forward head posture correction exercises but I stopped because the right side of my neck muscles (upper traps, etc) is way stiffer than the left. Is it wrong to do the correction exercises like that? Will that make the imbalance worse? My posture is really affecting my quality of life. i stopped university (physics) last semester because I can not study at all without pain/headaches.
Thanks alot for your effort..
Hey Khaled,
The exercises should not make anything worse.
If it does – cease the exercises immediately.
You will need to find exactly why and what is getting worse and go from there.
Sometimes – you might need to just drop the intensity by half and ease into the exercises.
Mark
Hi Mark!
Do chin nods / retractions automatically stretch the SCM, too?
Thanks
Hi Tadas,
Yes – especially if the SCM is very tight.
In most cases, however, you will need to add some sort of lateral tilt and/or rotation to get the full stretch of the SCM.
Mark
Hi Mark and thank you for the amazing work!
Personally (30 years old), I have a bit straight neck and I’m wondering if you have any good guide for regaining the natural curve of the neck.
Thank you in advance!
John
Hey John,
If you have a straightened neck (aka loss of normal cervical lordosis), then the exercises mentioned in this blog post will be great for you.
Mark
hi there can you do a review about upright go posture corrector i ve seen it in this website and i need more opinions on it, to note that i work a lot on my desk
Hey Lindsey,
If they send me one, I could probably do a review on it.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for compiling this information! I am excited to start taking action to correct my forward head posture, and I am grateful for these resources. Will a cervical wedge or variation of that assist in correcting forward head posture?
Thanks,
Ken
Hey Ken,
Yes – Cervical wedges can help!
Mark
Do you offer consults for posture correction? I have so many issues and pt is too slow. Thank you!
Hi, will fixing my APT make me physically taller? I’ve heard it can by up to 2.5 inches but I’m not sure if I can believe that. What are your thoughts? Thanks.
Hey Stefan,
You can get taller if you correct the anterior pelvic tilt.
Mark
Hey mark,
Is it fine if i do the last exercise with my head rotated to the left or right and then peform the chin tuck/nod? I feel different muscles in the neck activate then (feels very good). Maybe a progression of the exercise?
Most definitely.
By turning your head more towards one side and adding a chin tuck, you will bias the stretch more towards the side you are turning to.
Mark
G’day Mark.
I have a lot of postural problems and I’ve been looking at your exercises (which I’m very grateful for) and I have the problem of not being able to use my hands much.
I have severe bilateral ulnar neuritis in my elbows and excessive flexion is very painful.
A lot of the releases on this page involve flexion of the elbow, so I need to find some sort of alternative.
Would you know any ways I could release my tight muscles without using my hands?
Kind Regards, John
Hey John,
If you can not bend your elbows, you can still do the same stretches by just moving your head in the same direction mentioned. You should still be able to get a decent amount of stretch.
The releases with massage balls can be performed against the floor or wall and do not require your hands.
The SCM release might be a bit difficult. In this case – I would use a thick foam roller. Lie in your side with the foam roller under the head neck, and gently rotate your head to capture the scm region.
Mark
Ps. Ulnar Neuritis is treatable!
Thank you so much for your reply!
How is ulnar neuritis often treated? My doctor just made me rest but it’s been several months and I haven’t improved.
The nerve actually subluxates when I bend the elbow and I think might be related to bad neck and shoulder posture.
Hey John,
I would avoid keeping your elbows in prolonged bent positions. (ie. when you sleep on your side). Sometimes bracing your elbows straight can help with this.
On top of this – a short course of anti-inflammatories should help (but ask your doctor first)
Next step would be start to mobilize the ulnar nerve. If you have a quick google search of “Ulnar nerve glides” and see if you can comfortably perform them. You will want to stay clear away from any positions that cause tingling/numbness in the inside of the elbow and pinky finger.
Mark
Hey Mark, is it better to do these exercises every day, or to take rest days to let the muscles recover? Thanks!
Hey Daniel,
Probably best to start doing it 2-3x a week and see how the body responds.
More the merrier I say! (as long as the body can handle it)
Mark
Mark
I’m glad to have found your website as I have no doubt that I have forward head posture. I have a desk job (mainly office-based lawyer). I bought a SUV in May (Peugeot 3008) and have found it impossible to get a comfortable driving position. At present I have a pinching between my shoulder blades. I know I over-compensate with the seat and at times I then have discomfort just above my right hip area. And just for good measure I get discomfort just below the lower part of each shoulder blade (the area you can touch if e.g. you reach with your right hand to your left side and vice versa). Is it just Forward Head Posture or is it also bad driving posture?
Hey Gary,
Sounds like you may have Rounded shoulders as well?
For more info, check out this blog post: How to fix Rounded shoulders.
If the shoulder are forward, it’s likely that the shoulder blade is not in a great position, which then can lead to inefficient use of the muscles around the lower part of each shoulder blade.
Another thing I would consider is the shape of your upper back as you sit. If you are like most people in the car, it’s likely you sit with a bit of a hunch/thoracic kyphosis.
More info here: How to fix Hunched back posture.
Another thing to add is that many new car seats are horrible for posture! (but designed for safety on impact) Many head rests just quite forward which pushes the head forward. Bucket seats are also the worst!
Mark
Hi Mark! I’m an Intern Physiotherapist in Turkey. I’ve been researching about ‘foward head posture’ for a long time. There is no place to explain it well. Fortunately i found you. You explain perfectly. Muscle imbalances and the exercise you show are very good. I love them. Thanks for your works. Have a nice day…
Hey Furkan,
Glad to heat this!
Hope it helps for your future patients.
Mark
I just wanted to say that your site is amazing! I have just began working on my life long posture issues, so thanks for all the work that you are doing.
Also, have you considered releasing your material on YouTube in the form of videos? It is a very dominant platform so you could potentially get much more exposure as well as profit.
Best of luck!
Edin
Great recommendation, Edin.
I do want to make youtube videos eventually!
Mark
Hi mark
My name is lynda
I.have forward head posture..i worsens when i walk.. as i walk cannot raise my head to look up.seems my right side is my weak point.i cannot even stay in store long my head n shoulders get sotired.i.. go to a chiroprsctor.says
Hey mark, I have shoulder pain and very tense sub occiputal muscles. I’ve been doing your exercises and they have helped a lot but I am not sure what posture I should sleep in. Normally, I either sleep on my side or on my back but I don’t know if that’s good for me.
Hey Horen,
Ideally – on the back is the best as it promotes the most symmetry.
However – sleeping on the side is fine as well! Just make sure you are well supported with pillows to keep the body as supported as much as possible.
I have written this blog post that might help: Best sleeping position.
Mark
Hi Mark, I am just wondering. Do you have any exercises for my thoracic spine? I recently pinched a nerve in the area behind the bottom of my ribs and it hurts like crazy sometimes. I used to sit on the floor for long periods of time reading books and I had bad posture which is why this eventually happened to me.
Hey Boone,
You can try these one to see if it helps:
– Shoulder blade pain
– Thoracic spine stretches
Hope they help.
Mark
Hello mark!! I was wondering if you could make a YouTube about fixing posture. The pictures are not easy to follow. Thank you
Hi Whitney,
Great idea!
Which exercise is not easy to follow?
Mark
Hi Mark! I have several of the posture problems described in your articles (forward head position, rounded shoulders, and anterior pelvic tilt). What type of stretching/strengthening plan would you recommend for this, since there are 3 articles with 3 separate stretching/strengthening exercises. Would you recommend to work on 1 issue at a time or spend 90 minutes twice a week doing all of the exercises? Also, are you supposed to start out by doing all of the exercises 2x per week or just start out with the stretching exercises and then work your way up to the strengthening exercises? Basically, I’d just like to know what to do each week for these 3 issues. Thanks!
Hey Meghan,
I would start with one area at a time, 2-3/week, all exercises if possible.
If you are very tight, you might need to just do the stretches for now with the aim of getting into the strengthening exercises.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Can this forward head posture cause facial issues, like imbalances etc..?
Thanks for this website.
Hey Brahim,
Do you mean something like Bell’s Palsy?
If so – No, I am not aware of a forward head posture causing this issue.
Mark
Hello Mark, thanks for this website. I wore a neck collar (for a brief period) to stop forward head. My neck felt painful soon after so I am thinking it might not be good to use a collar?However the pain after using the collar could have been a coincidence. Would you recommend any collar or device to help us with f head posture? Thank you Mark.
Hey Paul,
Collars should really only be used for 2 days max… and this is more so for more serious neck issues (Like a bad motor vehicle accident)!
Exercises are the way to go!
Mark
Hi, do you have any specific exercises for loosening the muscles at the base of your skull. (sub occiputal). My muscles there are very tense which is giving me headaches. I tried many of the exercises you listed here and they helped but I was wondering if you had more
Hey Goren,
I would always start with the releases.
Follow it up with some stretches to the sub-occipitals.
Have a look at this post here. (Go to the subheading “Sub-occpitals” for a couple more stretches that you could try out .
Mark
Hi. Thank you for sharing these exercises. I’m worried that my forward neck posture has resulted in my cervical vertebrae to be flexed too far forward permanently. I understand that by doing these exercises, it will help stretch and strengthen muscles to improve my posture, but I’m concerned that my vertebrae/bones have permanently become flexed/pushed too far forward. Is that possible? Is there a way to reverse the flexion of the vertebrae? Thank you.
Hi Haley,
If your issue is more concerned with the flexion of cervical spine, check out this post: Dowager’s hump.
It might help!
Mark
Head-forward posture is being blamed as a major factor in my TMJ. Nasal surgery has been recommended to open the airways, to address the head-forward posture as a need to breathe
I’m working on your exercises to try to correct my posture, but wonder if you’ve ever heard of nasal surgery as being a “cure” to head-forward posture?
Hi Heather,
There is definitely a link between breathing, TMJ and your posture.
However – I have not come across someone who has had nasal surgery to specifically cure forward head posture before.
Are you a mouth breather by any chance?
Mark
Thank you SO MUCH for the helpful info. I have suffered for many years with neck and shoulder pain. Having everything available on one website with so many helpful explanations and tips is INVALUABLE. I only hope it’s not too late for these exercises, etc to help. I’ve been doing some of them on and off for years but never all, and never consistently. I’m almost 45 years old now and have been suffering with pain for 10+ years, partially due to an car accident and partially due to very poor posture. Now, too much sitting at my job (and truthfully too much sitting and phone-scrolling at home) is adding to it all. I am going to get to work on all your suggestions tonight!
Hey Jess,
All the best with the exercise.
Consistency is the key !
Mark
Great article!
Many thanks, and looking forward to trying out these exercises, as have suffered with this for a number of years and my chiropractor isn’t really sorting out the issue
55 year old male who 2 years ago moved into a desk job
Hi Mark. After one day of doing these exercises, I feel slow (little) numbness in my fingers.
What should I do?
About me: A 17-18 years old young man from Asia
Hey Hamid,
You will need to back off on the intensity of the exercise that is causing the exercise.
Sometimes if you force a movement that your body is not used to, it can cause symptoms like numbness (esp. when a nerve might be impinged).
Mark
Thanks for response!
Hi Mark,
I have forward head position but I also notice that my head doesn’t aim straight forward but is rotated to my left. Any tips for this? I should be making sure my neck is straight when doing these corrective exercises right?
Thanks!
Amy
Hi Amy,
Is it just your head that is rotating to the left? Or is there some torso rotation as well?
You generally want to keep your head straight when doing the exercises, so you might want to get to the root cause of your head rotation!
Mark
Hi Mark, I read your forward head posture correction tips. It’s really great and helpful. As a physiotherapist, you are doing great works. Continue sharing the helpful posture advice for us. Thank you so much for your valuable information.
Cheers Jessica!
Mark
BEST SITE AND INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET!!!!!!
Thank you so much for doing this for patients!!!!!!
Wishing you a wonderful life in return!
Thanks N!
I love this comment :)
Mark
Hi Kevin,
I believe I have more than one postural problem, namely forward head posture, slight rounded shoulders, APT and maybe a winged scapula.
Is it possible that I have all these problems at the same time to some degree?
If so would you be able to tell which problem would be best to start working to correct, in that it might help correct the other problems?
Thank you for your help!
Hi mark*
Sorry!
Hey Keiran,
It is very possible to have all of the said postural issues at the same time.
In terms of where to start, you can start in any area. Get the most of it and then move to the next area. If your lucky, fixing one area might help with the others. But you will only know that when you trial it out,.
Mark
Hi Mark, Great information. I had a question..I get tight scalp muscles , especially on top of head. Could this be due to forward head posture. Thanks you !
Hey Vibha,
Forward head posture might be related!
I would check to see if you have any issues with the:
– Frontalis
– Occipitalis
Mark
Thanks for your response Mark. Is there a way/technique to check these muscles. Thanks
I also wanted to let you know that I first started observing this scalp tightness while walking. It used to be fine while sitting. Really looking forward to your inputs. I’ve been having this for couple of years now. Also please let me know how to resolve this issue. Should the same excercises be done as for forward head posture. Thank you so much .
Hi Mark i am 35 years old and i have the forward head posture , let’s say i follow your recommended exercises daily , how long should take me to correct it , or even to see some decent results?
Hi Mark,
Thank you so much for this detailed explanation of forward head posture and the helpful stretches and strengthening exercises we can do to improve our posture. I performed both of the methods of standing posture evaluations and did not have noticeable forward head posture while standing. I am, however, seated most of the day and tight in all of the muscles you mention tighten from forward head posture. Would your second method of assessing if you have forward head posture work in a seated position as well? Have you found that some of your clients have forward head posture while seated and working and more upright posture while standing?
Hey Marisa,
It is quite possible to have a forward head posture in sitting and not so much in standing. This is usually due to the difference in the position of the spine/pelvis.
Mark
Hi Mark,
It seems I have rounded shoulders, forward head posture and dowagers hump. Where do I begin?
Hi Candice,
You can start anywhere :) .. Just make sure you start!
Mark
Hi, Mark,
I have forward head posture. What is the best sleeping position for me? And what kind of memory soap pillow? There are a lot of them…
Hey Kristina,
On your back: Keep the pillow high enough to prevent the chin from jutting out, but low enough to discourage excessive flexion of the neck.
You can also on go on your side.Make sure the side of your neck is well supported.
For sleeping information, check out this post: Best sleeping position.
All the best.
Mark
Hey do you have some exercises for your lower back?
These exercises are very helpful but I also suffer from lower back pain
Hey Josh,
For general lower back stretches
– Lumbar spine stretches
For Back pain related to an increased lumbar spine arch
– Hyperlordosis
For core exercises:
– Dead bug variations
Mark
Mark,
Thanks for your help in correcting forward head posture.
I have started sleeping on my back without a pillow. I used to prop my head up with as many as 2 pillows. Also I was think of watching TV from the floor in the prone position with my arms propping up my chin. Do you think that would be helpful?
Hey Raymond,
For sure it can help.
But I would also recommend doing the exercises mentioned on the blog post.
Mark
Hi Mark, there is a lot of useful information here and I’ve already noticed improvements in my range of motion and jaw/temporalis muscle pain from doing some of these exercises!
I’ve found that a lot leads back to one muscle in the back left of my neck and if I focus extra on that it seems to help, every time I do a chin tuck there is a clicking sound that comes from that exact spot.
On to my question: I have a chronic fatigue problem and some days even the lightest of exercise is too much and even sitting upright with engaged muscles can be exhausting. Can you recommend which steps you would advise for the extra rough days where I can’t do the full routine? I’ll need to make the most out of the 2-3 exercises I can manage on days like that.
Bonus question: Have you considered doing a follow along video where you do the whole routine in real time? As more of a visual person this would be very helpful and as someone who gets tired fast it would be wonderful to get that little bit of extra motivation and also not being able to rush it.
Hi Denise,
Great to hear that you’re getting some improvements with the exercises!
If you have tried the all of the exercises, you might notice that you respond better to some of them more than the others.
These are the ones you would want to focus on if you are having a rough day with your chronic fatigue.
In regards to a video – that is an awesome idea and it is definitely something I’ve thought about. I am a little bit camera shy but I’ll see what I can do !
Mark
Hey Mark, these exercises are very helpful.
I suffer from neck pain which causes slight dizziness and I noticed that the main muscles that are causing this are the ones at the back of my head near the base. I’ve done all these exercises but I’d like to know which ones in particular would stretch out the muscles that I mentioned earlier the most.
Hi Thombs,
Here is a great stretch for the base of your skull.
Instructions:
– Lean your back up against a wall.
– Step away from the wall whilst still leaning on it. (2-3 feet should be fine, Go more if required)
– Lift up your hips + lower back away from the wall so that only your upper/back shoulders and back of your head is in contact with the wall.
– From this position, the goal is to flatten the neck arch onto the wall as to produce a stretch in the Sub-occipital muscle.
– Whilst maintaining a decent amount of leaning pressure on the back of your head:
– Gently slide your chin back (AKA “Chin retraction/tuck”). Think of this movement like a book sliding back into the shelf.
– Gently nod your head downwards as to bring the tip of the chin closer to the upper chest.
– Aim to feel a stretch in the Sub-occipital region.
– Visualize the back of your head ELONGATING towards the roof as you perform this exercise.
– Hold for 1 minute
Mark
Hi Mark,
When I do the chin tuck it feels like the muscles on the right side are much stronger.
How can I better isolate the left side?
Hey Ross,
Make sure that you are not rotating your neck (or starting from a rotated/tilted position).
This could be biasing the right side.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have been checking into your blog every so often and continue to find it one of the best resources out there. I have quite a few of the concerns you cover including scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis (and head forward posture), as well as anterior pelvic tilt, winged scapula, etc (wow this sounds like a lot).
I find the way you break down each concern, the muscle involved, the stretches/straightening exercises and recommendations to be beyond helpful. Although I have have a host of inbalances and curvatures, etc…your way of speaking helps to understand nearly all of my issues are all interrelated and helping one area can help another. It also helps normalize sometimes the frustration and hopeless feeling that can come with this chronic discomfort/pain…and knowing that sometimes bad habits can breed bad posture, but things can be improved, and it can be a very common problem.
I find myself seeing one person’s video advising one kind of exercise, only to learn later it may be more detrimental (e.g., thoratic extention with head touching ground= rib flaring, which is *not* going to help someone that already has flaring).
I find your recommendations align with with everything that I hear is the “right” way to target a specific concern, and I appreciate that it may be more involved, it may not give the immediate relief…. but I think that’s the fairest way to approach this.
Through poor posture over a consistently long period of time causes these problems develop, and the fact you don’t say “this can get rid of x problem in x weeks” is very much appreciated. It is very subjective, and the severity really does effect the treatment duration and outcome so thank you!
I will start trying to incorporate some of these exercises and bring them up when I see my physiotherapist.
I’m just rambling but wanted to let you know how amazing a resource you have provided to us strangers of the interwebs :).
WOW!
I love this comment, Christina!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write it. Appreciate it!
I hope I can keep bringing you more value :)
Mark
hey, I’m wondering if something like this would help as it force the next to go backward.
thanks for awesome articles!
Hey Loric,
WOw – that looks like an intense neck exercise.
It will certainly strengthen the neck if done correctly!
Another gentler option would be to use a resistance band.
Mark
Hi
I came to it because I was searching for a forward neck stretch as I have been suffering from dizziness the past 6 weeks and the stretches my physio gave me weren’t making much difference. I did the stretches this morning (it was the sub-occipital stretch that my physio had not given me – and the self neck traction) and the dizziness pretty much stopped – I felt a massive difference in just one session! But now I feel kind of wiped out and out of it! Is that normal? Will it pass? And does it mean I was doing something wrong? Should I keep going? How long might this take to resolve so I can get back to normal or at least functional!
Many thanks for writing that post! I will refer to it again and again!
Tom
Hey Tom,
Sounds like your dizziness might be coming from compression of the Sub-occipitals!
If you feel wiped out after doing the exercises, you might want to go a bit gentler on the exercises. Perhaps don’t hold the stretch for as long or as intense.
Your body has been accustomed to this compression for sometime now, so when you all of a sudden release it, you can get some weird reactions!
It should pass. But if any doubts, please see a professional to get it checked out.
Mark
Thank you! That’s really helpful – I’ll definitely take things easier and the dizziness is clearing…slowly. been going on weeks! I’ve just been told by a doctor (GP) that there’s no way neck/vertebra problems can cause dizziness!! It’s so frustrating to be told that when I am sure that’s at least part and probably all of what’s been making me dizzy. (Doctor has no better idea as to what it might be other than ear wax!)
Hey man, how is this dizziness coming? I have bad posture and text neck and also noticing some dizziness/ vertigo esp when flexing my head down. Neck muscles feel all tight. I’ve been doing some of the above exercises and stretches but still getting a touch of dizziness when looking down or rotating my head. Otherwise it’s just headache behind eyes, neck tension, and just general fog/ out of it.
Wondering how long till the dizziness fully went away for you.
Hi, Mark…ok so have a question regarding head retraction…this exercise has baffled me and plagued me for years because I have not been able to really understand the explanations given on how to perform this correctly often times causing more pain and more forward head…so my understanding is that in forward head the neck/ head are leaning forward and a person will lift their head to see causing the lower area of cervical to be flexed and upper cervical to hyperextend…if this is correct I always asked how and why would a person drive their head horizontally backwards on a neck that is leaning forwards and a head that is leaning back….this just gave me more hyperextension and more pain…however I recently ran into a post on another site that stated the head and upper cervical are retracted together ..this makes better sense to me. I tried it this way and feels this may have been the missing piece…is this what one is doing with retraction? Retracting both the head and upper cervical? This may seem ridiculous …like one doesnt move without the other but I assure you I can pull my head back leaving my neck leaning forward…doesnt feel good but it can be done…and when people call this exercise head retraction that makes it more confusing…If head and neck are retracted together….what musculature of the neck should be doing the retracting… the posterior side or the anterior side? In other words are you pulling the head/neck back with posterior musculature…If so what is purpose of tucking chin if posterior musculature would hold head/neck in a retracted position? are you just trying to hold the head steady with chin tuck and the chin tuck really has nothing to do with the exercise? Please help me understand as I am certain I need this exercise as nose nodding is not helpful if one is still protracted but I am unsure of this no matter how many explanations or videos I see of this….and I have seen a lot
Hi Mark, I have anterior pelvic tilt also, so when i am doing number 3’s chin tucks my lower back is arching automatically to compensate the resistance, how can i make sure i don’t arch it?
Only for the one agains gravity, I found out that if I put a pillow on my belly it slows down the arching.
But what about the others? Would bending my knees work?
Hey Adam,
Looks like there might be some compensation going along there in your lower back.
Try to depress your rib cage into your pelvis as you perform the chin tuck.
If you still keep moving your lower back, try to do a half chin tuck and slowly build it up without moving any other body part.
Mark
Hey Mark, I’m a big fan of your articles and resources! They’ve helped me quite a bit to solve some of my back problems and neck pain related to posture, as I spend a lot of time sitting and coding. I just donated to your PayPal!
I reached out to you through FB message earlier today, but I’m not sure if you check that still. I would love to get your feedback on a physical therapy-related project that I’ve been working on!
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your kind donation.
I will check your private message on facebook.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Great website.. thank you for all the time you’ve put in to it. I did some of the tests you have on the various posture issues and I have several: Forward head, rounded shoulders, Hyperlordosis and (maybe) hunchback.
My question is …. how to correct? Do I try to tackle these all at once (not sure I have that much time for the exercises in a day), or do one at a time? If so, which would be best to start with?
Thanks!
Matt
Hey Matt,
My recommendation would be just to focus on 1 area to begin with.
Which one? You can start on any area. See how far these exercises will take you, then once you feel you’ve done as much as you can, move onto the next area.
Some people like to start in the area of their pain. That is also fine to do.
Mark
Mark, is there any way I can pay you for a consultation call. Our family is desperate to get our son out of pain. Thanks, Pam
Look into ETPS on Youtube, as well as the McKensie technique.
Hello Mr Mark,
I really want to thank you for all of this great information here at this site to help us that need to work on our forward head posture. My question is this. What do you think about incorporating one of those posture correction devices into the mix. You know those figure eight devices you wear around the shoulders? I’m thinking of buying one and would like your opinion on those devices. Like if you think they are worth it or if you know if they do help in fixing forward head posture a.k.a. text neck?
Hey DMZABO,
They are fine in the short term but I would advise that you do not become reliant on it to hold your shoulders back.
This can make your postural muscles weaker in the long term.
Mark
Hello Mark,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for this amazing website. I have been holding my body in the forward head posture since the birth of my first child and am now on maternity leave with my second, always leaning forward in some way. I am doing your exercises 6 out of 7 days and after 2 week I can definitely feel the difference already and I am more mindful of how I carry my head and shoulders. Thank you for your comprehensive instructions! The best of all is ‘imagine pushing a book onto a shelf’ – I had been doing this exercise wrong for months since my physiotherapist gave it to me and he never corrected it! Your exercises have helped me more than any of the expensive physio sessions I had. I will donate to you with pleasure and am glad to be able to do so.
Hi Tilly,
Thank you so much for this comment that you have left me.
Great way to end my night.
Thanks!
Mark
Hi. I’m a 22 years old female from India. Can wearing a ponytail that doesn’t allow you to lean your head back to the wall or any seat or chair that you are sitting on cause forward head posture?
Hey Margo,
Yes! It can.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Firstly, thank you for a great website. I am 27 years old and I’ve had bad posture since I was a child. I’ve tried with some stretches and the neck releases, massaging the muscles with a ball or my thumbs and I get just a bit nauseous from it.
Generally, I get very easily carsick (I get dizzy for a couple of minutes after coming off a treadmill) and sometimes at yoga from neck movements or rotating too much when dancing. My mum has vertigo and migraines so I know how it goes. I’ve always assumed that my nausea comes from my balance centre and movement but since I got a bit nauseous from pressing and massaging my neck I’m now wondering if there are some exercises here that I should avoid and/or to carefully choose where to press to not make something in my neck worse?
Hey Cath,
Sounds like your body is very sensitive around the neck region.
I would still continue with all of the exercises, but go like 30-50% intensity. (eg. don’t press to hard, don’t go full range, don’t hold positions for too long) It is likely that your body will need to ease into this program.
Continue at this intensity for the week, monitor how you are responding and modify as you see fit.
If the dizziness is quite severe and you are quite concerned, you can go to the doctor for an ultrasound to the arteries in the neck area.
This is to make sure that there are no potential blockages. (very,very, very rare though!)
Mark
i had disc bulge in c4 and c5, and early stage of loss of lordosis, Can you suggest best exercise? My pshyio suggested me to correct my posture, it till resove all my problems, is it true?
Please help.
Hey Dinesh,
The exercises mentioned in this blog post will address the issues you mentioned.
Mark
Also can i do isometric exercises for neck to strengthen muscles?
You bet !
(I just did couple minutes of isometric neck exercises today.)
Mark
Can you help me few isometric exercises?
Sure thing.
Check out this post:
Neck strengthening exercises.
Scroll down to LEVEL 5 for the strengthening isometric exercises.
Enjoy!
Mark
Thanks,
While sleeping , i am keeping rounded towel under my neck . is it good practice?
Yes that is fine.
Today i had discussion with my doctor, he said disc bulge cannot be cured, is it true?
Hey Dinesh,
It’s unlikely that the disc bulge will 100% “go back into place”, however, it is possible to retract a % the the bulging part of the disc.
Mark
Hey mark, I had scoliosis surgery… will I be able to fix my forward head and should I feel a slight burn sensation when doing the chin tucks?
Hey M,
If it is a burn from muscular fatigue, this is completely normal.
Mark
This is wonderful information!! I’ve had a forward head posture for over twenty years and did not know it. I’ve never had a doctor/physiotherapist acknowledge this was my problem and I continue to live in agony every day. I knew it was from sitting in front of a computer but I could not figure out what to do about it and no one seems to understand it. Several people “talked about a forward head” but other than recommending chin tucks suggested nothing. I simply could not wrap my head around it. I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada. If you could direct me to someone in this city that could help me I would be so appreciative. Thank you Sandra Mayor
Hi there Sandra,
Thanks for your comment.
I don’t know anyone in Canada, unfortunately.
But most physios should be able to help you out with the forward head posture :)
Mark
Hey Mark,
I’ve been insecure about this my whole life, and recently someone pointed it out to me, which of course made me feel even worse. I was always told its genetics and generally not able to be fixed. I’m curious about trying your stretches. Can they reverse a forward slanted neck and head? To appear normal? If so, how long until I start to see results (Im sure everyone’s experience is different).
Thanks for the knowledge!
Hi Shelby,
There are always aspect of your posture that can be improved (no matter how long you have had it).
However- the general rule being that the longer you have had your postural distortion, the longer it might take to reverse.
In terms of how long to see results, it tends to vary from person to person. You could even see/feel results even after 1 session.
Mark
Thank you Mark for everything you’ve done and this great site of yours. I have a question can forward head posture result in having a shorter neck? When I Look to my photos from when I was a kid before I had forward head posture my neck looked longer than what it is now.
Hey Jamal,
Yes – compression of the neck is associated with the Forward head posture.
Correction of your poked neck will create more space between your joints and elongate your neck.
Mark
Hey Mark! Why shouldn’t I do the exercises over the bed using gravity if I tense the muscles at the front? Wouldn’t that be equivalent to lifting more weight? What if I do less reps?
Hi Eden,
It’s fine to do the exercise over the bed, but just make sure you are contracting the right muscles (and not compensating by over tensing other muscles).
Mark
I have found a lot of amazing exercises and explanations on your website. Thank you. I have fibromyalgia and lately the pain has been very bad in all the muscle groups associated with forward head posture and dowagers hump. I am only in my 30s so the thought of developing a hump is particularly embarrassing. In particular, thanks for the tip on correct chin tucks… doing it incorrectly was causing suboccipital pain even when I use a thin pillow behind my head when doing it against a wall or in bed as a previous physiotherapist suggested when I was hypersensitive to pain. The anterior scalene stretch was also a missing piece of the puzzle.
Just one question: I found that doing shoulder blade squeezes is hard to hold when I am in a lot of pain. I discovered recently that if I do hold the squeeze until I can pivot and gently press on of my loosely hanging hands against the wall I can get the stretch aspect of the squeeze without the pain. Is this an ok thing to do? I worry I might inadvertently be putting pressure on a muscle or nerve I shouldn’t be.
Hey Anne Marie,
Thanks for visiting the blog :)
The way that you described doing is perfectly fine!
Mark
Hello Mark,
Thank you so much for sharing this. I feel soreness on one side of my neck after doing these exercises (similar to after a workout). I think the culprit may be the occipital release because I am extremely tight. Is this soreness normal/okay?
Hi Z,
It is quite normal to have some soreness after the exercises, but it shouldn’t last for more than half a day.
If it is quite prominent, try to go a bit more gentle and see how you respond to that.
(If in doubt, do less than what you think you can do)
Mark
Hi, i’m a great believer in physio and exercise but after a titanium hip replacement about eight months ago plus several prior left elbow dislocations and left wrist minor fracture my left arm currently won’t let my hand get to my mouth or head though straight up is ok and i can’t walk far without a limp. can’t knit either so though it gets a little better slowly, daily, any exercise seem impossible?
Thanks Mark for your work. I have forward head, I guess I also have arthritis as I experience some pain and have Crepitus. Please gave you got any tips on getting rid of this crepitus? Do you think the exercises for forward head and general exercises for the neck will help the neck and therefore lessen the crepitus? Thanks, Paul.
Hi there Paul,
The crepitus may improve as the head is placed in a more neutral position.
(but it also depends on how bad the arthritis is as well)
Mark
Are chin tucks still suitable ( and advisable) if you have C5/C6 osteophyte Mark?
Hi Angela,
Yes, however – make sure there is no pain or other symptoms that arise from doing so.
Mark
Hi mark,
Great information, thanks. Can you explain something please? I definitely have forward head, rounded shoulders and dowagers hump. I went to a chiropractor who seemed unconcerned and said we all have varying degrees of natural curvature And suggested a couple of exercises. It is all feeling much worse and tight, so I went to see a physio yesterday. She assessed me and said yes there is some curvature of the spine, but nothing much and to concentrate on a couple of exercises: head tuck, side neck stretch and shoulder blade stretch. She said nothing was ‘fused’ after I asked her, but my spine is slightly curved-I’m unsure what that means. She said you can’t straighten a spine once it has curved. Am I doomed to a curved spine forever? I am permanently in forward head posture because I can’t straighten my neck. Does this mean it can’t be improved, but also can only get worse because I can’t straighten out of forward head? Thank you.
Hi Rianon,
If the joints are not fused, then there should be no reason why you can’t improve your forward head posture.
Mark
Hi again mark. I have been doing the dowagers hump exercises every day and forward head exercises every few days, since January. I’m in discomfort most of the time now and my neck seems much worse. I can feel badly bent bones now and it is pulling too much to get my head up in a neutral position. It feels as though my curved neck has got much much worse in the last month. When I lie in bed, I can’t breathe properly. What has gone so wrong so quickly and what do you think I have done and could do now? Many thanks.
Hey Rianon,
You might be over correcting or forcing the position of your head.
If this is the case, you will need to aim for a smaller % correction (eg. go only 10-20% of what you are currently doing) and/or focus more so on the stretching/releasing of the tight muscles that are holding you in a forward head posture.
Mark
Thanks Mark. I notice when I lay in bed I have forward head and AP Tilt (I sleep on side)! Any tips please? I tried sleeping on back with one pillow so I am in a better neutral position but just can’t fall asleep! When I start the exercises I guess my side sleeping position will help but any tips please? Thanks, Paul.
Hi Paul,
It’s all a matter of getting used to a new habit. Take times and consistency.
If you sleep on the side and want to reduce your APT and Forward head posture, try to bend you knees closer to your chest (to help reduce the APT) and bring your chin slightly closer to your upper chest (to reduce your chin poking forward)
Mark
Hi Mark, brilliant article and I’ve read it many times over the past year and finally want to fix my posture.
I’ve tried chiropractors etc but I think it’s something I need to do daily on my own
Issues I have is when I stand tall, I get the double chin affect. Is that normal? I also feel like I’m walking like Jonny bravo.
Plan to take a before and after pictures and will post here in 30 days
Hey Chet,
You don’t want to jam your chin in too much.
If anything, try to visualize having a very tall and long neck.
Mark
Hello Mark, thank you for this website. When I walk around with my head held high I feel quite arrogant but I guess as I have been walking around with a forward head posture it will feel different at first when holding head up. Any ideas please? Also when doing exercises for the neck (like turning my head) should I perform them in my normal head position or because I have f head position should I exercise with my chin tucked in all the time? THANK YOU, from Paul
Hi Paul,
Walk around like you own the place! That’s how I do it ;)
You want to maintain neutral head position as much as you comfortably can.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I’m loving the quality of information you’ve presented here! Thanks for all your hardwork putting this together. Ive been working with a PT for tendonitis in my left shoulder, this guide is an awesome way to supplement those physio sessions. This has helped me become even more aware of my posture, which prior to PT was awful. I was suffering regular headaches and consuming IBuprofen on a regular basis. In the few weeks since starting these exercises my consumption of pain killers has plummeted. One question though…as my muscles adapt to my new posture is it normal to hear crepitus in my neck etc? My headaches, though less servere, also seem to manifest in different areas of my head. Its been quite the journey so far but Im excited to get my body back to normal! Thanks again for your work here.
Cheers,
Scott
Hi there Scott,
Crepitus may arise from the change in joint position.
For you – likely from a tight/non-optimal position, to a more neutral position.
As you have had your posture for some time (which I assume is a forward head posture among other things), there has likely been some changes to the surface areas where your neck bones join.
(these areas can get a sand paper likely feeling)
Nothing to be worried about though. Just keep up the exercises. Keep the neck strong and remember to move!
Mark
Hi Mark,
If one were to do these exercises faithfully every day, how long would you estimate an individual would see a substantial improvement? Roughly how long until fully corrected (Forward head and shoulders)?
Thanks!
Hey Dave,
It really depends on the individual. There are many factors to consider!
Mark
G’day Dave,
Story from one individual here:
I am in my mid-40s, with no back injuries or medical conditions apart from poor posture. I have been doing Mark’s exercise program about three times a week for a year now. I noticed some improvement in my head position after about three months. Each time after doing the exercises, I felt taller and could see my shoulders out of the corner of my eyes! Also, my neck muscles got stronger. At six months, there was a noticeable improvement in my posture. Now, at one year, I hold my head in a good position most of the time with no conscious effort. I am still doing the exercises (hoping for more improvement in my other issues, rounded back and dowager’s hump).
So I would say give it a try! At first, the positive effect on your posture will only be visible straight after you run through the exercises. However, as you build up your muscles, you should start to see permanent improvement. It is a commitment of time, but it has been worth it for me.
This is an awesome response, Sarah.
I could not have said it better myself :)
Cheers!
Mark
Dear Mark,
Thank you for your website, very well explained.
I have one question please.
I am a 31 year old woman with a scoliosis since I’m 12.
I always had a bad posture and my shoulder blades are unequal (one protruding and the other not) and my shoulder’s are also unequal (one stuck forward, the other not – most likely because I always find myself sleeping on the right side). It’s been 7 years now that I get migraines because of a stiff neck and shoulders, and my shoulders muscles are rock hard.
I also have a dowager’s hump (only for 3 years, since I’ve began breastfeeding)
I know that above doing the exercises, I need to be conscious of my posture and try to correct it as well.
Thing is, when I do try to stay straighter, I HAVE to tuck my chin in (double chin) and even so, I’m still a bit head forward. And my lower jaw shifts position. I get a constant double chin now every time I put my head even a tiny bit straighter (ew)
And I get migraines for doing that, and putting my shoulders backward stretches so much my tendrils that it hurts like hell. It’s been 10 minutes of straight posture in front of my computer now and my shoulder blades and dowager’s hump hurt like hell.
Should I continue trying to keep very straight all the time even if it hurts a lot? Will it make my jaw get weaker if I continue, or if my muscle get stronger, my head will naturally change after a while and my chin won’t get weaker?
Thanks.
Hi Alicia,
You have described some pretty common symptoms after starting the exercises.
The most common reason is that you may be FORCING the posture.
Good posture must always be as natural and relaxed as possible.
If you find you need to force the movement, you need to focus more on the stretches and releases so that it becomes easier for you to hold a better posture.
When you start to correct your posture, try to aim to hold this corrected position for 5-10 minutes to begin with. As the body becomes used it, slowly increase as to avoid painful flare ups.
In regards to your chin, you should find the jaw becomes stronger as the head resumes a more neutral position.
Mark.
Ps. check out my new post: Scoliosis Exercises.
Excellent ..I’m suffering from severe dizziness. Hope it will help
See how it goes, Tamilselvan!
It is quite common for the tight muscles around your neck to result in dizziness.
If your dizziness still does not resolve, see what the doctor has to say!
Mark
Hi Mark, just wanted to start by saying thanks very much for putting together such an excellent guide. Certainly the best i’ve came across online.
I wanted to ask a couple of quick questions if that’s ok. Firstly, I’m looking to start the suggested exercises asap and wondered how many times a day I should do these and whens best to do them morning/evening?
My second question is I believe my neck pain stems from driving I just cant get comfortable in my car. It feels like the seat encourages me to tilt my head forward and I’ve watched a load of youtube videos to adjust it properly but nothing seems to work. I had issues with my lower back but these went away when I got a lumbar support and then my neck problems started. is it possible I moved the problem from one area to another?
Hi Mark! (Great name by the way)
Thank you for your kind words.
At minimum, once a day should be fine. You can perform them any time you like. It’s all fine!
You are definitely correct. The head rests in car seats tend to push the head forwards.
This is more so to help
1. Provide some support to people with Forward head posture and
2. Help reduce strain on neck in car accidents.
The problem with this, of course, it does not encourage a neutral neck position.
When you changed the position of your lower back, it may have influenced the position of your neck.
Here are some simple tips regarding posture whilst driving: Posture tips in the car.
Mark
Hi. Im suffering from forward head hunchback and rounded shoulders .How many times a day should i repeat these exercises for better results ?
Hi Quincy,
You can start with 1/day and see how you respond to that.
From here, you can increase the frequency as you see fit.
Mark
I have been doing chin tucks and feel some relief. My neck makes a crunching sound on the left side when I look up or forward. I also have a clicking sound when i turn my head right. I have no idea what it is, Is there an exercise that will help?
Hey Jay,
A forward head posture can lead to more compression of the joints in the neck. This mean the joints may be grinding against each other.
This may be related to the sounds you hear as you move your head in certain directions.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I know this is an older post, but I came across your website today when doing some research on the forward head posture. For the last 8-9 months, I’ve been experiencing a “heavy head” feeling (off an on), like my neck has trouble holding up my head and it gets fatigued feeling. I spend an enormous amount of time on a computer and also looking down at my phone. My posture isn’t great generally, and I’ve been known to fall asleep in my chair, with my head tilted to the side. Most of these issues started after a period of high stress/anxiety/insomnia (hence the falling asleep in my chair). The heavy head, plus a feeling of pressure/tugging in the back of my head (suboccipital region) and the same tugging/pressure in my temples, gave me great worry. I’m a hypochondriac and always assuming the worst. But after countless doctor’s appointments, no one has seemed alarmed by these symptoms and I was finally referred to physical therapy.
When I stand against the wall, my head comes forward probably 3 inches or so. My question is, can the forward head posture cause the heavy head feeling, and a feeling of pressure in the head? It’s not painful. It just feels “odd.” It’s hard to describe. I’ve had periods of headaches as well that were relieved by some type of chiropractic massage. Any pain I have is very manageable, it’s more so the discomfort of the heavy head, which in turns triggers my anxiety because I jump to the worst conclusion. You seem very experienced, so I thought maybe I could get some reassurance from you. Do you think my symptoms could be posture-related? I’m definitely going to give these exercises a try. Thanks in advance! :-)
Hey Emily,
The heaviness feeling you described is very common in those people with a forward head posture.
The reason behind this is that the further your head is in front of you, the more your sub-occipital muscles need to work to essentially hold your head up right.
Think about holding a heavy bowling ball. Is it harder to hold the bowling ball close to you or holding it with outstretched arms waaaaay in front of you? The latter of course!
It’s exactly the same concept with your head.
Mark
Hi Emily, I’m experiencing the exact same symptoms as you described. Have you found relief? Any tips would be so helpful
I have had these EXACT feelings!!!! Did yours resolve?
Hi! Is it normal that chin tuck excercises start hurting somewhere in my back, or am I doing something wrong? It hurts somewhere between the shoulderblades (or a little lower).
Thanks for the information about forward head posture!
Hi Mikey,
It shouldn’t hurt.
You may need to perform the chin tuck at a lesser intensity and slowly build it up so that they body can tolerate. Never exercises into pain.
Mark
Hello Mark, my left neck hurts and my head is rotated to one side, my left clavicle also seems to be higher but that could be due to the tilt. My jaw is also clicking on the left side. I have done many excercises to correct this but the pain doesn’t go away. I did find some relief after stretching my left teres, masseter and flexor hallucis brevis. My posture definitely improved, but my neck is still tilted and the pain remains. I have done many neck stretches, but they don’t seem to work. Could this be an issue with the bones in my neck?
Hi Stephan,
With a higher clavicle on one side + a head tilt, I would check to see if your torso is tilting to one side.
I have a blog post on this very issue coming out soon.
Mark
Hello Mark,
I also have forward head posture with my neck and torso about 15-20 degrees to the left. I’m a righted tennis player and found that if I relaxed standing my pelvis would lean heavily to the left side and force my right leg and hip to hyperextend. This has improved drastically thanks to your blogs. However my left side is in good alignment and my right side tends to still hyper extend slightly. When i force my right side into alignment it feels like the right quad is doing the work and my chest rotation is close to normal and my neck remains 15 degrees rotated left. My worst pain now has become my right mid back under my lowest rib. If you had to guess Is primarily a hip torso or neck issue?
(thank you for all your blogs my pain has already been cut in half in a little over a month)
Hey John,
Have a look to see if you have a rotated pelvis:
Post: How to fix a rotated pelvis.
The neck will often counter rotate as a response to rotation of the torso and/or pelvis.
Mark
Hello!
Do you think these exercises would help with correcting the lack of cervical lordosis that I have (I also have forward head posture)? Thanks! :-)
Hey Bob,
Yes :)
Mark
Hi Mark,
I love this post/compilation. I do chin tucks all the time. I’m always thinking of new ways to incorporate chin tucks through out my day. I do it while I’m driving in my car too by pushing back against the head rest
I did have a question regarding Chin tuck/nod over edge of bed. While pausing in relax mode, how should we position the neck? Do we lower it down against side of bed at the edge? This is in between the 5-10s holds you recommend.
I’m actually creating a web app that has PT inspired exercises where you can track and favorite your exercises. Here’s example of the bed edge chink tuck.
As you can see, this is similar to one you suggest as a progression. Would love to get your thoughts on my web app as well.
Really enjoy your writing, keep it up and thanks for sharing.
Hi Mark,
Is it important how i set up my head against the Wall before doing the Chin tuck?
I mean, i used to look up (Chin is higher than neutral) and then lengthen the neck and do the chin tuck. Is it Better to start in a neutral Position or is this not so important?
And why should i hold every rep for 5 seconds and not longer? I think as i did this exercise for 15-20 secondes a couple times the muscles at front of my neck where kind of too tired afterwards. Could this be a reason to hold IT Not so long? Thank you very much Mark.
Hey Mark,
You can start in that position.
5 seconds is a good place to begin with. Feel free to increase gradually as the body gets used to the contraction.
Mark
Hi mark can i send you a picture over email for some advice on my postural issues? Just a quick assesment if i have dowagers or just forward head posture. Regards
Hi mark,
Is trying to continuously do a chin tuck while sitting for example throughout the day good or bad? I try to keep my chin tucked in as I would do during the tucks, but I’m worried that this might have a negative effect.
Hi Christiel,
That is fine to do.
I would not force the chin back rather aim for a gentle contraction.
Mark
Hi Mark! thank you for the time and effort you put into creating this post it is a great compilation of all of the best exercises. I have been going to physical therapy on and off for the past few years due to bad posture created by an unergonomic work environment so I was familiar with most of these. But like most people I have been slacking off on the exercises and not standing as much at my stand-up desk. So my neck and shoulder pain have been returning I get a lot of pain in my upper lats in the underarm and backside of the shoulder as well. anyway I am laying here trying the chin tucks and my arm begins to shake. Just curious if there may be something I should be doing to prevent this maybe other exercises I should be doing and also just curious what might be causing this to happen when I do the chin tucks. I do have a slight bulge in the C6 C7 area
Hey Jackie,
It may be due to the nerve being irritated when you perform the exercise.
Can you perform the exercise but start with your eyes gazing downwards. Does this prevent the shaking?
Mark
Hey Mark,
So with poked neck, does that mean I have a “poke” so to speak pointing out at the base of my cervical spine? Or is this simply a “dowager’s hump”. Can I still do chin tucks and the other stretches and my spin will correct and straighten normally OVER this hump? I feel like I have to do something else, I am just surprised if I can lift my neck up and over this bump.
Hey anderson,
If you have a bump at the base of your neck, I would address that too!
Here’s the post: How to fix a Dowager’s hump.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for the exercises for the forward head posture. I will start fixing this issue soon but I’d like to ask wheather it is better to sleep with a pillow or without a pillow if I’m trying to fix my forward head posture. I normally sleep on my side and my back.
Thank you!
Hey Fatima,
With respect to sleeping on your back when addressing a forward head posture, I recommend using as thin pillow as possible (… providing that your chin does not kink backwards – aka cervical spine hyper extension).
Mark
Hi Mark,
I’ve noticed that when I do chin tucks, I get a bit of a tingling sensation in my fingers and some tension/pushy feeling at the top of my spine, is this normal?
Hi Martynas,
Try to look slightly downwards before you do the chin tuck and see if that makes any difference.
Sometimes if you perform the exercise incorrectly, it may pinch some nerves in your neck!
Mark
Hi, Mark, can you provide a link for the base of the skull massager ball? I’d like to purchase one that’s at least the right size and pressure.
Thank you.
Hi Sigrid,
I got mine at RogueAUustralia,but honestly, you can use any ball!
Mark
hi mark and thanks for your work.
I have rounded shoulder, forward head with hunchback (is it possible that they are not associated ?) and lordosis. I’m 25
when I do the chin tuck exercises I get pain in the shoulder blades, around and between. what should I do ?
Hey Jal,
I would need to see how you were performing the chin tuck exercise to give you specific recommendations.
But generally, try not to jam your chin back and force the movement. Go gentle, and with time, you should be able to go further without causing other issues.
If it still giving you issue, this would need to be investigated.
Mark
Hey Mark,
I loved your article as this hits home for me. I work in the office and I have slight forward head posture. I’m considering this course to correct my forward head posture. What do you think about it?
Hey Jack,
I am not sure about the course as I have never heard of it before.
You can always try out the recommended exercises on the blog post and see how it goes. (free of charge!)
Mark
Hi Mark,
I felt a bit of tingling/numbness in my fingers while I was performing exercise # 5a and #6.
Do you know the reason why? I do have slightly bulging disc in my neck area between C3-7.
Any exercise is suitable for my neck? The symptoms I experienced the most is heavy head, as if my neck is unable to hold my head (feeling compressed) and sometimes pain.
Your help is very much appreciated.
Kind Regards,
Bonnie
Hi Bonnie,
Looks like you may be hitching your shoulders too much when you do the mentioned exercises. This can lead to compression to some nerves in your neck.
You can either:
a) try to keep your shoulders down whilst performing the exercises and or
b) perform the exercise with your arms lower (eg. at shoulder height)
Mark
What is the main difference between the chin tuck and nod exercises? You mention in the beginning of the chin nod section that “We also need to strengthen the muscles at the front of your neck (called the deep neck flexors) which work in conjunction with the muscles at the back.”
Does this mean that the chin tuck exercises strengthen the back of the neck muscles? If so which ones in particular?
Hi Abdul,
Correct!
You will want lower neck to EXTEND and the upper neck to FLEX.
Here are the main muscles responsible the lower neck extension:
Mark
Hello Mark,
Thanks for replying.
Ok clear, chin tucks strengthen the lower cervical extensor muscles and chin nods strengthens the upper deep cervical flexor muscles. The first feels strongest while performing in the lower back of the neck while the second in the deep upper front of the neck. That is how you know you are performing them correctly I guess.
One thing I find interesting about the illustration is that it includes some of the capital extensor muscles. I thought those had nothing to do with moving the neck, only moving the head back.
Hey Mark! I’ve been dealing with pain under the left rib cage and shoulder blade for two years and when I do the stretch by pulling my head down, it completely mimics the pain. This is actually the position I was in when the pain initially started! I was getting an epidural and sitting on the side of a bad with my head tilted down like stretch. I get an immense amount of pulling coming from ribs of shoulder blade on the left side. I also feel like it travel down to my forearm occasionally. Any idea what that is?! And if so, how to fix it?
Hey Sarah,
If you get pain that shoots down to the left shoulder blade when you look down, it could be one of the muscles that runs between the neck and thoracic spine (eg. Middle trap, levator scapula, multifidus, longissimus)
For symptomatic relief of your pain, check out this post: Shoulder blade pain.
Mark
Will do, thank you! I LOVE your site!
Hello Mark!
I want to start off by saying thank you for the amazing article. I have somewhat seen some of the information in bits and pieces elsewhere but you’ve put it so nicely and extensively – thank you!
So, I am a 21 year old male Computer Science university student and so I spend loads of time studying in front of a computer, which I believe has given me some degree of FHP. I don’t think its too bad but I also feel like I have a tiny (dowager’s) hump forming (I could be wrong). Could those two exist at the same time? I’m not sure how long I’ve had it although I wouldn’t believe it’s been too long. I read and know that joints fuse throughout one’s lifetime, would my joints have fused by this age? Is it reversible? And if it is reversible, will I have get super smooth alignment between my back and my neck?
I’ve been doing the exercises for about a week now and I notice that not only has it become easier to maintain good posture while sitting and standing, but it I’ve also become a lot more aware of when I’m pushing my head forward.
I just had those few concerns and I’d appreciate any insight you have to provide.
Hi Rae,
You’re still young! Now is the best time to do something about your FHP.
Forward head posture can lead to the bump in the base of your neck. Fixing the FHP will thus help address your dowagers.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have little both APT, little bit kyphosis, little bit forward head posture , little bit flared ribs resulting in excessive hyperlordosis.
So what do you suggest? As in fix these issues one by one or do all the exercises relating to these problems?
Hi Ronnie,
It is possible to fix 1 and it helps correct the other issues. You will need to find the main area that is driving the rest of your issues.
However- this is best done with some guidance.
If you don’t have a physio to see, I would suggest focusing on your most prominent postural deviation (your hyperlordosis) and see how you go from there.
Mark
Hi Mark!! I have the worst posture. I am always hunched over and my neck never feels comfortable anymore. Will I ever get to a point where I don’t hunch anymore if I continue to workout and stretch or am I doomed to be like this forever?
Hi Alisia,
As long as you are not fused together, you will be able to make progress.
However – It may take some time and a whole lot of effort!
If you don’t so something now, it may actually get worse :(
Mark
Thank-you so much Mark! I really appreciate this article.
I have forward head position and have had a lot of neck pain for years. In the day, I try exercises and better posture, and I get some relief. But at night all my work seems to get undone in my sleep. I wake up in a forward head position and a lot of pain. I need to sleep in a variety of positions due to pain. When on my back, I have a flat pillow. When on my side, I try to have a slightly higher pillow so I am aligned. However, despite being aware of posture when I fall asleep, I still wake up with bad posture. What can I do for this night time problem?
Many thanks!
Hi Tara,
As we are in the horizontal position from anywhere from 6-12 hours (depending on how much sleep you get), it is a long time to be in that position.
You can try doing stretches before you sleep to try to loosen up your muscles.
I would also recommend doing gentle neck traction to help with your tight joints.
If you have forward head posture, you will require a thicker pillow if you are going to sleep flat on your back. Otherwise your neck will kink backwards and jam up the structures in the back of the neck.
Mark
Hello Mark,
I am a little confused about some of the advice here. In particular, some of the stretches which stratch the back of the neck. Shouldn’t we be doing everything to tightten muscles on the back of the neck so the head doesn’t go farther forward? One of the stretches you suggest where you push your head down with your hand actually puts you in worse forward head posture as a fix.
Hi Paul,
In a forward head posture, the muscles at the back of your upper neck region are actually tight. So stretching them would work great for them.
You can be more specific with that particular stretch if you that it might make your posture worse.
What to do:
– Whilst keeping your neck retracted, pull your head down as to bring your chin closer to your upper chest.
Mark
Hi. i am a 14 y/o who has had a slight bad posture since elementary school. However in the previous years my lower back has been uncomfortable, stiff, and at one point it was so uncomfortable and hurt so much to walk and sneezing or coughing KILLED me. I went to see my doctor, who told me that is was muscle strain, and that it would go away-.-… It’s gotten better but it feels chronic. whether just walking or running maybe 10 blocks I feel pain in my lower back, i cant describe the pain it more like uncomfortable-ness that doesn’t go away.
I’ve also felt that my back is really stiff. if i stretch, i can really feel tightness almost everywhere. i also noticed that i have a poked neck and my upper back seems hunched/sway back?? i say this because it seems more back than the rest of my body-like my poked neck and my lower back which has anterior pelvic tilt.
I have also had some neck pain probably due to my poor posture staring at work or on a computer screen everyday and poked neck. I’ve tried pulling my head down as one of your stretches showed- but i just cant. Its not painful, but is super uncomfortable in my upper back. I also cant do the yoga cat pose because of the similar feeling. Sometimes the feeling in my upper back but that the back of my neck is just so tight that i cant pull it forward with my might. How can i fix this?
Hey Chris,
For forward head posture: the exercises here are a great place to start. It sounds like you are very tight, so I would take it very gently to begin with. Sometimes when you are very tight, some exercises may be quite difficult at the start but get easier with consistent practice.
For anterior pelvic tilt: Check out this post: How to fix anterior pelvic tilt
For the hunch back posture: How to fix hunchback posture
Avoid prolonged use of your computer. Take frequent breaks. Do your exercises. And check out this ebook: How to set up your workstation.
Mark
Hi Mark
I’m 27 and I have been struggling a lot with these symptoms as of late. The dizziness and headaches is what is affecting me the most. I had some blood work done and it all came back clear. I know I have terrible posture as my job consists of me sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day. I try to straighten up my back but I tend to slip back into old habits. It affects me most when I am sitting down. I wake up with headaches and a stiff neck. The dizzy spells only seem to appear when I am sitting at my desk. Reading your exercises sounds promising and the detail is a huge help. I’m going to give it a go!
Hi Mark. Can I fix fhp without stretching exercises (point 1)?
Hi Timur,
Yes, you can :)
Mark
Hi Mark!
Thank you for sparing these exercises!
I have been dealing with bad posture since I was a teenager, and this has lead to chronic headaches.
I have a question about blood circulation. I feel like when my neck and backmuscles are very tense, my head often get really hot from time to time. Almost like the blood “is trapped” in my head. Does this sound like a result of muscle tension?
Rebekka
Hey Rebekka,
I am not too sure about blood being trapped in the muscle… but you can definitely get a burning/hot feeling from over active muscles at the back of your neck.
Mark
When doing the neck retraction I feel a tight pulling sensation on both sides of the spine by the shoulder blades. Is that normal?
Hi Garrett,
It sounds like you are stretching the muscle that goes from the back of your neck to between the shoulder blades.
This is a good thing!
If in doubt – go gentle and don’t push pass any feelings of discomfort.
Mark
Hi Mark!
I have a couple interesting things going on. I’ve noticed my right trapezius is lower than my left, also (and maybe as a result) my right sternocleidomastoid has a bulge and feels bigger than my left. The bulge is just near the voice box. Is this because Of the shoulder tilt and my muscles are trying to compensate for its unevenness? I’ve also been experiencing head jerks where Im at my desk and my head will slightly turn or jerk which also triggers my chin to twitch. Can these be from postural issues?
Thank you!
Hi,
I am currently try the chin tuck and opening my shoulders part of physical activity, and recently bought an exercise ball for my spine. My core muscles are getting strong as well to help my posture, but my neck and shoulder blades get irritated to sit up all day sometimes. Is there anything less or more I should be doing? Does ice or heat help this as well?
Hi Samira,
I would have a look at these 2 posts:
Shoulder blade pain
Rounded shoulders
Mark
Dear Mark, when I move the chin backwards when exercising my shoulders lift up. How does one do the exercises whilst keeping the shoulders in the ideal position? Also when doing this exercise my neck feels pinched at the back is this because I have quite a pronounced forward head position and its working the neck hard? Thanks for the advice, Paul
Hey Paul,
It sounds like you may be using your shoulder muscles to help perform the exercise. This is quite common if your poked neck is quite pronounced.
Suggestion: Try to move only half the amount. Keep the shoulders relaxed. Have only pure movement of the neck. You may be trying to do more than your neck will allow you to.
If you have pinching of your neck whilst performing a chin tuck, I would suggest to looking down at a 45 degree angle and perform the chin tuck from this starting position. Try to avoid the pinching sensation at the back of your neck!
Mark
Hello Mark, Also when turning my head it nearly always-and has done for over six years- made strange grating noises. It is slightly better now. Does that mean I have a bone problem? I find the exceecises help- thanks, Paul
Thanks Mark!
Another question-sorry!
When I move my head I can hear strange noises-it always happens. My neck doesn’t hurt so much like before- do the noises mean I might have arthritis or something? Muscles wouldn’t make that noise? Thanks, Paul
Hey Paul,
If it is a clicking noise, it is probably some of your more compressed joints moving. (and not necessarily arthritis)
As you improve the positions of your joints, this should become less apparent.
Mark
Hi Mark!
Thank you for this information. A forward head and rounded shoulders have been the bane of my existence since I was a young teenager. It’s also something that runs in my family. Not a day goes by when I don’t have some sort of ache going on. So would these exercises help me even though it seems hereditary?
Hey Minka!
For sure!
Even if you have hereditary predisposition, you can still improve your head posture.
On top of that, these exercises will make your neck muscles stronger which in turn may resolve your aches.
Mark
hi, can forward head posture affect vision?
Hi Darren,
Yes it can!
However – so can a lot of other stuff like issues with the eye itself, brain issues, optic nerve problems and impaired blood flow to the brain. etc
Mark
Hi Mark
These stretches are great I have forward head posture and a pinched nerve in my neck that causes headaches are these stretches ok for this and is there anyway I can speed the healing process I know it came from me working all summer long in my bed while sitting indian style on a laptop.
Hi Michele,
These stretches performed gently are fine to do, however, pay attention to how your body responds and adjust accordingly.
If in doubt, get it assessed in person :)
Mark
Mark, I have forward neck , anterior pelvis tilt, and scolisis. I know you have a routine for anterior pelvis tilt too, but i don’t have time to do each specific routine everyday. What’s the best way to attack these in one simple routine?
Hi Trey,
You don’t have to do all of the exercises. (Although – I do recommend it when first starting out just to see how your body responds)
If you find you benefit more from certain exercises, I would prioritise those over the others.
This should cut down the duration.
Mark
Hi Mark, thank you for your advice, this article (and the rounded shoulders one) is great.
I am wondering if you have any recommendations for yoga poses that can also improve issues with forward neck and rounded shoulders?
There were too many comments to read, apologies if this was answered previously
M
Hey Mish,
My favourite Yoga pose is UTKATASANA.
Key points with Utkatasane:
Keep your back straight. Do not puff your chest out.
Lean forward at the hip. (The more you lean forward, the harder this exercise will be.)
Keep your arms in line with your body.
Remain lengthened through the spine. (Imagine someone gently pulling your head upwards.)
Hold this position for as long as you can tolerate.
Mark
This article is very helpful, I was wanting to ask that as my job requires me to sit on a computer from 9-5 and I use my mobile quite often, so I have to look down on my phone. Will these exercises still help me get rid of my forward neck and poor posture even though I am always using my phone and use the computer?
Hi Mariyam,
The exercises will certainly help!
But – you need to try to optimise your positioning at work to ensure the benefits of these exercises are preserved!
Mark
Hello Mark,
I think that i have forward head posture and it s hard for me to swallow food or drink. It was like something is sitting in my throat. When i tuck my chin and push gently on my neck from the front. It was extremely painful that my tears burst out. Now it is hard for me to turn my head side to side and even laughing hurts my neck. I dont know what is going on and i ve tried some of the methods like rolled up towel and tucking chin and keep doing it every day but it is hurt. Please help it is freaking hurt..
Hey Duke,
Looks like you strained your neck muscles.
You want to do these exercises very gently.
Try to keep your superficial neck muscles relaxed as you perform the chin tuck especially.
Mark
You might want to contact an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor. Trouble swallowing should be checked out immediately.
this will help to avoid neck pain also,
Thank you for Sharing Mark.
When you say that your neck joints may be “stuck in the poked neck position” do you mean that the cervical lordosis may be straightened or reversed? Is that what you mean?
Exactly right, Andy!
The cervical joints become locked into a flattening of the natural cervical lordosis due to the prolonged forward head posture.
Mark
How can I restore this natural cervical lordosis? I don’t have forward head posture anymore but I believe I still have a straight lordosis
Hey Andy,
If you fix your forward head posture, you generally fix your lack of lordosis in the neck.
(Unless you are kinking your chin upwards?)
Mark
I still have a lack of cervical lordosis even though i have pretty much fixed my posture. It is still reversed on X ray. Would the Mckenzie cervical retraction extension help restore it? (The one you included on this page, the neck mobility one)
Hey Andy,
Yes that should help out too.
Mark
Are there any exercises to fix the flattened cervical lordosis? I have fixed my forward head posture but i still have a reversed neck curve.
Hi Mark
Thank you for these wonderful posts! they are by far the best exercises I ve ever tried. they helped me a lot to improve my posture while sitting at the computer and using my sketching tablet 8 hours a day. it just needs time and consistent effort to see the results.
Also, I wonder if you have any advice, exercises or tips to get rid of karpal tunnel syndrome due to mouse clicks. I try some exercises like squeeze variations with a plastic ball and so far it is easing from time to time. I would appreciate to learn about its treatment from you.
Thank you
Hi Gozde,
Thanks for the comment.
If you have carpal tunnel syndrome, I would first make sure that your work station set up is optimal. You will need to make sure you look at your seat height, mouse position and height, table height etc). You can get my free ebook on this here.
Depending on the severity, you may need to use a a) carpal tunnel wrist splint for a week or so to allow the area to reduce in swelling/inflammation, b) take anti inflam med and/or c) anti-inflam gel.
Once your symptoms are settled, I would to gentle to your nerve. Make sure you do not push it too far.
There are things to look at as well, but these points would be a good start.
Mark
Hi Mark really interesting read thanks. Sorry if this has been asked already but regarding sleeping…would you say it’s best to sleep on your front rather than your back while trying to reverse the effects of forward head posture?
Thanks
Scott
Hi Scott,
I generally do not recommend lying on your stomach as it will force your to rotate your neck to the side.
I recommend using as thin of a pillow as possible WITHOUT causing your neck to kink backwards.
Mark
Mark, does elevating your head while using a pillow add to reverse cervical curve and/or forward head posture? Is it better to sleep without a pillow if possible?
It is better to sleep without a pillow if you have good posture.
If your head is forward, it is better to correctly place a pillow behind your neck as to promote proper alignment.
Mark
marki idont get massage ball or tool ido this exersice by pool white ? and chin tuck exersice is head up and down ? God bless you
marki chin tuck exersice and neck mobility are the same exersice ?
Hi Heiru,
They are definitely similar.
Neck mobility includes maintaining a chin tuck as you look up and down.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I have a knobbly lump at the nape of my neck and it seems counterintuitive for me to stretch the way you mentioned as it makes the lump stick out A LOT. Do you think I should do the stretch? All it does is make the hump ‘poke-your-eye-out’ noticeable.
Hi Bianca,
You can try tucking your chin in first, then gently pulling your head downwards.
Mark
Mark/Bianca,
I heard from my physical therapist that a this lump at the nape of the neck (as I have also had since my teenage years) is actually fat that has formed to protect the base of the cervical spine, due to the fact that it is jutting out from forward head posture. Is this correct, Mark, and is there a possibility that the lump will eventually dissipate as the forward head posture is corrected and the body no longer has a need to store the lump of fat in that area? Also…in order to encourage the breakdown of said fat…is there a gentle massage or any other type of action we can perform to help encourage the body to release it?
Hi Sarah,
I believe you are referring to a Dowager’s hump.
Check it out here.
Mark
Hello Mark.
What size diameter massage ball do you suggest for massage ball release?
Thank you.
Hey Chris,
If your forward head posture is prominent, start with a bigger ball.
The blue ball that I use is 12 cm.
Mark
Hello Mark. I had become aware of my forward leaning head a few years ago. I had been suggested chin tucks by a chiro I was seeing. Not so long after my son was diagnosed with a terminal muscle wasting disease. I am without words to describe the pain and suffering it has been on this journey (which is still happening). Somewhere in all his many appointments and with severe depression I loss track of my goal to correct my posture. I need to take care of my posture and health as my son becoming non-ambulatory is inevitable. I hope you would be so kind to answer some of my questions as I begin this routine. Today I did the wall test and tried my best to be natural to myself in posture. My wife measures about 2.25 to 2.5″ from the back of my head to the wall. Is this mild, moderate or severe? I can reduce the gap with a chin tuck but I am unable to touch the wall even then.
1) Neck Stretches: Is the neck stretch you describe the Levator Scapulae stretch? With forward leaning head are Posterior and Anterior Scalene stretches and Trap stretches very beneficial in moving toward the goal? I saw these in a you tube video for FLH but I wasn’t sure if it was overkill. Time is a precious commodity so I prefer to keep my focus on just that which will have the most impact on FLH (even though all stretches are good).
2) Chin Tuck: I am certain I am doing this correctly but it doesn’t seem like there is much travel/range. My wife who also has FLH, has incredible range. Is this common and likely due to the muscles being so short and tight? Also, would it be as effective to do hold for 30 seconds 5 times which is less reps but the same amount of time? Are the progression exercises meant to be in addition to the Chin Tuck. Or is it such that you do either a chin tuck, chick tuck against gravity or chin tuck against resistance (depending on which level you are at)?
I am sorry for so many questions. I hope to hear back from you. Thank you for putting all of this up for others.
Hi Chris,
Sounds like you have a moderate amount of Forward head posture.
1) The stretch I describe in the post is more for the muscles at the back of your neck. You can definitely do stretches for the anterior upper trapezius and anterior scalenes.
2) Your limited movement in a chin tuck is likely due to the tight muscles holding your head forward. In this case – you should focus on releasing and stretching.
In terms of the 30 seconds hold, that is fine to do as well and will be just as effective.
You can do all of the chin tuck variations, but if you are short on time, just do the hardest one that you can perform properly.
Mark
Hi, so this neck pain have been up for me since middle March. I woke up to find out that I developed this sharp pain in my neck and I attributed it to poor posture, because I had some nights when I had to work all through the night and slept off on my laptop mostly with the forward neck posture. At first,i thought it was somrthing crackung my neck would do and it would be fine,but it did not. So I thought it was my neck bones that had some fracture, but x-rays fom the hospital showed nothing was wrong with my neck bones, and the Doctor recommended some pain killers and muscle relaxant pills, saying it was a musculo-skeletal pain and it would be fine, but the pain got worse. Everything you explained is quite the case with me. I never saw a physiotherapist though or had an appointment because I did not think it was physiotherapy related up until just now after reading your article. I really hope using your therapy would help me out, because the pain hinders me from concentrating at work and it affects my normal everyday activity.
Hey John,
Definitely go check it out with a physiotherapist.
Once they find the root cause of your problem and give you some helpful strategies, you will be on your way to recovery.
Mark
Hi Mark,
I am only 15 and noticed that I have rounded shoulders and a forward neck so I guess that I caught it before things got worse. How long do you think it should take before I correct my forward neck and rounded shoulders.
Hey there,
It really depends!
But looks like you have age on your side.
The sooner you do something about it, the quicker it will resolve.
Mark
Hey Mark,
these exercises are so great, with those I finally feel some kind of progress concerning dizziness and my posture. A lot of other exercises didn’t help me at all. So thank you for your work :-)
But I have a question: I am practicing most of them on a daily basis for a couple of weeks now and while doing the neck mobility exercise (tuck chin in and look up/down) I noticed a pressure increasing in the front head area. It feels like a screw is slowly seized or something like that (sorry, hard to explain as non-native english speaker ;-)
In the beginning, a couple of weeks ago, I instead of this pressure felt a burning pain on the left shoulder while doing the exercise, which is mainly gone now. But I have a constant pain in this shoulder (on top) when stretching to the right side, where unfortunately no therapist could help me with unitl now.
This increasing pressure sometimes leads to a (later on) headache if I continue the exercise. What could that be and/or what could I do (else) to prevent it?
Thanks again for your hard work and sharing your knowledge, my physiotherapist was very pleased as well on how detailed your exercises are explained :-)
Hi Gomez,
I recommend not looking up all the way if you are getting increased tension in your head. Your joints and muscles may not be ready to do the full movement yet.
You may possibly be jamming them up instead! This can refer pain around your eye, sides of your forehead, back of your skull, down your shoulder blade.
Here’s what to do: Even if you tuck your chin in and look up and down with a SMALL amount of movement, it will still be very beneficial in your forward head posture.
Mark
Hey Mark,
thanks for your reply. I tried it with a smaller amount of movement and this definetily feels better! So I guess I will try to increase the movement VERY slowly over a couple of weeks and see what happens!
Kind regards,
gomez
Perfect!
Slow and steady is the key.
Mark
Is it appropriate to go through these release, stretching and chin excersizes daily?
Hey Bob,
I would aim to do these exercises daily.
(Just as long as your muscles aren’t too sore from the exercises the day before!)
Mark
In the Chin Tucks Exercise section you mention:
“As this exercise becomes easier, challenge yourself with the following exercise progressions…”
Does that mean I can skip exercise A)chin tucks and move on to exercises B and C? or do I have to do those two exercises in addition to A?
Thanks
Hi Abdulrahman,
You can skip it if it is too easy :)
Mark
Thank you very much.
I have one more question. I have been trying to find the same ball you are using with the shallow ridges for the neck message, but I can only find balls with spikes like the ones you show in the Pec major/minor massage video. Do you think a spikey ball will work for the neck massage or the spikes can be a problem?
Thanks
Hey Abdulrahman,
You can use the spikey balls to massage the neck, but it can get quite uncomfortable the firmer you press.
You can try using a lacrosse ball. It is better :)
Mark
Thank you very much
Hi Mark,
Thank for your website. I wanted post here to let you know I sent you an email through posture direct. I sent pictures plus a description of my spine slightly twisted. I wanted to know if there were different exercises for that as well. I do have the forward neck etc. In the email I explained a little more.
Thank you again for your valuable time and knowledge.
Susan
Hi Susan,
It will be best to contact me via facebook private message.
You can go there right now by clicking here.
I can give you more specific help there.
Thanks!
Hi Mark,
I am sorry if it’s a problem, but I don’t like using Facebook. If you can check your posture direct email to see if you received it there. If it’s a problem then I will figure Facebook message.
Thank you
Susan
Hi Susan,
I’ll have to check that email account then.
Will reply to you soon!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for checking that email. While I was waiting I did more reading and testing and decided to start with all the muscle releases and stretches, then started with the anterior tilt exercises and work my way up. Thank you soooooooo much because just with the first day I have seen improvement. Its amazing. I also found out I had really tight calf muscles. I thank you soooooooo much for your help. I didn’t realize how important just doing the releases which helped me start strengthen the weak muscles. Hugs to you.
Thank you again.
Susan
No problem, Susan.
Let me know if you need further help :)
Mark
Hi, Mark
I’m pretty slim but I have a huge double chin when I slide my head back in normal position which I think is just excess skin, If I continue to do the exercises and maintain posture will it go away?
Thanks.
Hey Joel,
In the absence of loose skin/excess fat in the neck area, once your posture (as a whole) gets betters, the double chin will go away with it :)
Mark
Hi Mark.
I have forward head posture and at the same time I have a problem with my thoracic spine colums. I think It’s curved towards the left side of my body but what I know for certain is that my head is slightly bent towards left and my left shoulder is higher than my right shoulder. can it be a result of forward head posture and are these exercises that you gave effective to cure it so it can be straight again like it was?
Thanks Mark everything In here was useful and awesome.
Hi Jamal,
These exercises will help your head get back into a neutral position in the sagittal plane (from a side view).
It sounds like you may be either tilted/rotated in your spine which may have caused your elevated Left shoulder.
Feel free to send me picture of your posture on the facebook page and I can help you out there :)
Mark
I got a big fat thumbs up for you. Your awesome man.
Cheers Jamal!
Hi,
I have all the symptoms of forward head posture and have pain in my back neck as well. I am suffering from vertigo from last 4 years and nothing could help me on this. I am not sure but can my bad posture be reason for that. I have started doing these exercise from 7 days and I am feeling quite energetic and less vertigo. could you please suggest for severe cases how much time would it take to cure permanently ?? I want to walk someday without vertigo :)
Hi Mark, I am coming back after two weeks regular exercise suggested by you. Thank you so much for sharing this. I am feeling improvement in my neck pain and dizziness as well. Thanks again.
Hi Seema,
That sounds awesome!
Keep up the good work and consistency :)
Mark
Hi Mark, i have a question. I’ve read the article and i must say that i found it highly interesting. My question is, how would a daily routine look like? Should i do every exercise you mentioned together with the stretches? Also, i love working out in the gym, so do you know any exercises i can do there to further improve my posture?
Hey James,
I recommended doing all of them to begin with.
As you become more familiar with how your body responds to certain exercises, you can start to omit or concentrate on some of them.
At the gym, just make sure you keep your neck/head relaxed but in as a neutral position as much as possible.
If you were looking for other exercises to help with posture, have a look at these posts to begin with:
– Rounded shoulders
– Hunchback posture
Mark
dear mark i have done 3 succide attempts in my life so far and all time unsuccesful just becoz of my walking gait becoz people make fun of me. please see me on video is it forward head or some thing else i m very worried regarding my gait . i have visit few physiotherapist but they don,t get my problem please help me. plz
Hi Imad,
Please feel free to send me a video on the facebook page.
I can help you out more specifically there.
Mark
Hi Imad
Be strong bro. So what if people make fun of you. If the world turns its back on you u turn your back on the whole GOD DAMN world ?. U do your job the best way possible and don’t think about any thing.
Hi Mark,
I’ve have this pain for the last 2 years panning most off my upper back and neck (particularly the right shoulder blade) and upper chest area. Thanks to these exercises I feel like there is definitely an improvement in my ROM and the pain itself. One question: I feel like sleeping without a pillow helps with the alignment for my spine. However, I’m not too sure if this is advisable or maybe I should have something to support the curve in my neck? could you advise?
Many thanks for this article its a life saver!
Hi Kawser,
Great to hear your pain is getting better.
In terms of sleeping: Yes – sleeping without a pillow is better… in the ideal world.
HOWEVER – since most of us have a forward head posture, we need that support on our necks when we lie down on our back. (some more than others)
My Recommendation: I would use as little amount of support as possible without causing more pain. Personally, I use a very small rolled up towel in the curve of my neck when I am on my back.
Hope this helps!
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks that is great! I’ve now been doing this for a week and I definitely feel a significant difference. I am still getting this tightness around my right side of the back mainly under the shoulder blade. Is this from the neck also and can i maybe do something to release this? Also since i have been watching my posture i and having some lower back pain. Could this be from my body trying to get used to the new posture. I guess i should be strengthening my lower back. Thanks a lot!
Hey,
Try having a look at this post: Shoulder blade pain. Let me know if that helps.
It is common to get some aches and pains when correcting your posture and that is likely that you are using muscles that you have not used before.
However- just be careful that you are not OVER correcting your posture. Be gentle with your corrections. :)
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thanks for this. I have been following this routine for the past week and it has helped my pain greatly. I was just wondering , i have pain under my right shoulder blade, is there something i can do for that? is this maybe due to the neck pain. Also since i have been doing these i have some pain in my lower back. Could this be due to the change in posture and just a matter of strengthening my lower back and core?
how a walk looks like in forward head posture
Mark,
My wife has a forward head posture problem, however she’s currently pregnant with a set of twins so I’m not too keen on doing anything excessive. However, any tips/ techniques for pregnant females?
Dave,
In regards to pregnant females, it’s fine to do all of the exercises mentioned in the post. Keep it gentle.
I would recommend against doing any exercises where you have to lie on your stomach.
Mark
If I correct my forward head posture and use your 6 steps every night will my dowagers hump go away?when I feel my neck it is like my bones on the base of my neck is rounded is this dowagers hump?
Hi Curtis,
Yes – It does sound like you are describing a Dowager’s hump.
And by doing the exercises, you should see some improvement over time :)
Mark
I’ve started the process of correcting my posture but with the proper posture it gives my face a very unpleasant double chin. A I doomed to have this when I correct my posture? It’s just. A lot of extra skin and I’m not overweight. I’ve had this posture since I was about 10 from pictures I’ve seen and I am 24 now. Please advise! Thanks
Hey there,
If it is due to excess skin, it is probably because the skin at the front of your neck has been over stretched over the years with your forward head.
If it is bothering you, try not to retract your chin excessively. Think about your neck being elongated, as opposed to squished backwards.
This way – you are still engaging the right muscles, but the double chin won’t be as apparent.
Mark
Dear Mark,
I have been experiencing headache at the front of my head for almost 4 years. I encouraged myself to get MRI and the results show that I have forward head posture. I am glad that your recommendations are really helpful for me. Due to chronic headache, sometimes I also experience anxiety along with dizziness.
When I raise my eyebrows, I can feel the tension at suboccipital region at the back of my head, so I think might be the cause of it. Can you approve that?
I realized that when I am doing chin tucks, my headache is becoming closer to the back of my head. At first it was completely at the front, but now it is on top and on both sides, sometimes at the back of my head. Is it normal that headache is moving closer to the suboccipital region?
Hi Mark,
Movement of your eyebrows can cause co-contraction of the muscles around your skull (inclusive of the sub-occipital region).
The headaches at the front and back of your head are likely related.
When performing the chin tucks, just make sure you do it gradually and gently. It shouldn’t feel like you are forcing or jamming your chin back as this may cause more headaches.
Mark
Dear Mark,
My headache is really diminishing right now but I feel dizzy all the time especially on my left side. My headache was intensive last week but I was not dizzy. Can you advise what might be wrong about me? How can I beat this dizziness?
Thank you,
Hi Mark,
Great to hear your headaches is getting better.
With your dizziness, if it is related to your tight/overactive muscles, the exercises should help with it.
However, since there are many causes of dizziness, you might want to get it checked out just in case,.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Finding this site has been a godsend. I am 61 years old and have worked in front of a computer for MANY years. The past 4 years or so I have had upper back pain and it is getting increasingly worse. Ended up in the ER one night with excruciating back spasms. CT scan only showed osteophytes which they tell me is not surprising for my age. I am now seeing a PT for my forward head posture and she is having me start with some of the same exercises that you show here. I had a couple of questions:
Do you think the back spasms could be caused by the forward head posture?
Do you recommend heat or ice for pain?
And..I think I was a little over zealous in doing the exercises the PT showed me and was in even more pain than normal that evening. Is it possible that the correction process can do that?
I am so happy to have found this site. It gives me some hope that there is eventually an end in sight.
Hi Mary,
Thanks for your questions.
As the neck and upper back are closely interconnected, back spasm can most definitely be caused by a forward head posture. Your back muscles may be working extra hard to hold you a head that is all the way poked forward.
Heat vs Ice. Really – it depends what you are trying to achieve. Ice numbs the pain, whereas heat helps muscles relax. Both of which can help you. If you are having spasms, I personally would recommend heat.
Pain after new exercises is quite common. You are moving your neck in a way that it is not used to. If in doubt, double check with your PT to make sure you are performing the exercises correctly.
Mark
Thank you so much for your response! I know I am a work in progress but I am determined to rid myself of this pain. I think it is great that you take the time to help people with these issues as they seem to be so prevalent today.
I especially like that you refer to Esther Gokhale’s stretch lying position. I read her book and have tried it in the past as well as the stretch sitting and find it does help. I live in the Bay Area and would love to attend one of her workshops one day.
Thank you again!
Hi Mark, After years of long stretches of using a laptop positioned on the arm of the sofa, my default position now is to be permanantly looking to the right. As a result my neck aches on the left side, the muscles on this side look thick and people are commenting on it. Are your forward head exercises sutable for my situation? Many thanks.
f
Hi Sarah,
These exercises will still be beneficial for you, however, it looks like the greater issue is that your muscles and joints are biased to the right side (which ultimately make the left side work harder)
To fix this, you will need to know which EXACT area of your body is rotated. Then, we need to target those area with exercises to de-rotate.
If you want more help, feel free to private message me on facebook :)
Mark
Thank you Mark. I will most certainly contact you privately. Thanks for answering my SOS. Sarah
Wow! This was a great article.
Story of how I got here:
I started realizing that I am always looking down at my computer. One time I read an article that talked about the cartilage in your nose and how if you have it squeezed for a long period of time it can “skinny down”. (I have a larger nose and wanted to know how to fix it. I noticed the top part of my nose was skinnier than the bottom, makes sense my glasses sit on the higher end.) It said that cartilage can be adjusted over time. So I moved my glasses to the bottom part of my nose to “Skinny” it out. I noticed when I did that my head moved drastically from down to up. (This was so I can see out of them-so kind of like grandma glasses for reading-instead I am looking straight to see at all.) When I felt the drastic angle of my head go from down to up-Well you know what I thought! I have bad freakin posture!
I remember an ex of mine asking “Why do you walk with your head down like that?” I told him it was because of the sun in my eyes (at the time we were walking when he asked that) but I did not know if this whole look of my posture is what he really meant. (I laugh to myself now.) So I still put my glasses at the tip of my nose and then I noticed that the part of my neck that strained most was the “hump” on my back. Then I researched keywords to find someone talking about this issue. I have been diagnosed with “head forward” LMBO that is so funny.
Anyway, I am working on my posture as we speak and finding better ways to sit at my desk and work on being more active. I saved this article and I am going to go back on it for stretches. (I also had a hard time with the posture because of my boobs, they arent too large. But I felt, just, OUT THERE, with them when I stood straight. Now I dont give two flies.) I feel the strain in my neck and wonder if these exercises will start helping with that, I can only assume yes, but I wanted to send this comment in as a big THANK YOU for sharing your expertise and to ask that question. Thank you again, you are very helpful. (Also attractive so kudos for that!)
EVERYTHING LOOKS SO DIFFERENT FROM THIS ANGLE -lol how sad I have been living that way for so long. I also noticed when I was fixing my posture, I told myself “I have a heavy head! Geez.” So this all lined up quite well with my thoughts-again, thank you!
Hey Victoria!
What a funny way to have developed bad posture!
I am glad that you have found this website. All that strain you feel in your neck is very likely from the forward position of your head.
These exercise are PERFECT to help you with that!
Have fun with your new viewing angle :)
Mark
sir my father has problem with his head he is 53 years old, and has a problem with his head from 7 months. suudendly his head is seen only upside, means he has problem with head when ever he seas tv or talking with some one his head move up ward while talking. and when he trys to move down wards he has a pain in his head and eyes. we have shown many doctors in nagpur maharashtra but the problem has not been solve. please hep.
Hi Rahul,
If the issue is related to a forward head posture, then the exercises in the post will help him out.
Mark
Hi. Would a lying cervical extension off the side of the bed have the same effect as the Mckenzie cervical mobility exercise that you mentioned above?
Hey Raymond,
As long as you do not let your chin jut forward as you extend your neck, the exercises will be similar.
Mark
Would a lying cervical extension off the edge of a bed, have the same effect as the McKenzie cervical mobility exercise that u have shown above?
I’m 19 years old and I have been having chronic neck pain for 5 years all bez of forward head posture. It all resulted from playing too much computer when I was little.
Whenever I look down (flexion) the back of my neck hurts the most. Cervical retraction has reduced my pain overall but the pain from flexion never really got any better.
Do u have any idea as to what as wrong? And is there any exercises for it? Thank you.
Hi Andy,
If you have a poked neck, the structures at the back of your neck are likely very tight.
When you look down, it will actually stretch these tight structures. The tighter you are, the more likely you will feel pain as you stretch them.
I would continue to do the stretches and hold for a longer and longer duration as tolerated. As the muscles loosen up, you will feel less pain.
Mark
Is there any stretch in particular that you recommend to loosen those tight back neck muscles
Hi Andy,
The neck retraction with a nod is a great stretch to do.
You can perform it whilst lying down as well.
Hold for at least 30 seconds. Aim to feel the stretch at the back of your neck.
Mark
Hello Mark, thank you so much for this, i’m going to try it out right away! One thing I noticed with mine though is that it’s causing a pretty bad hunch at the top of my spine. If I fix my posture will this go away? I’ve had this problem for years and do not want to be permanently stuck with this hunch.
Hey Deanna,
Check out this post. :)
The hunch on top of your spine is referred to as a Dowager’s hump and is related to your forward head posture.
Mark
yes! this was the original article I found.
Hi mark,
I notice you mentioned pillow thickness for sleeping to reduce forward head posture, bu where is best to place the pillow, just slightly underneath the sub-occipital lobe? I also, typically sleep with my palms resting behind my head. Any ideas for good sleep positioning with a pillow and should I be placing my hands behind my head when I sleep?
Hey Erick,
I recommend placing the pillow in the curve of the neck and behind the head (whilst maintaining neutral spine).
If possible, try not to place the pillow underneath the area below the base of the neck.
It is fine to sleep with your hands behind your head provided that it is not causing any issues in your neck/shoulder/elbow region. I sometimes do it as well :)
Mark
I’m currently working my way out of bad posture and your exercise and stretches are very helpful in expanding my tool set.
Thank you
This is exactly what I needed, having suffered from this awful posture for decades but no-one seemingly able to tell me how to fix it. I loathe what it looks like and this will be what I use to correct. Thank you so much for this. There’s no need to reply either. You’re a gent.
Hi Lee!
I like to reply! :P
Thanks for the comment! Let me know if you need any more help with the exercises.
Mark
Can I fix it with posture brace?
Hi Dawit,
Very unlikely!
Exercise is the only way that I know of.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for this helpful post! I am a DPT student and my forward head posture has increased with school. Pretty ironic I know. I tried the Mckenzie technique with the chin tuck and extension, but I feel fairly limited and have some pain going into extension.
Do you know why this may be? Do you think it is safe for me to going into extension with my chin tucked?
Thank you!
Christina
Hi Christina,
There may be a certain limit as to how far you can take cervical extension when keeping the neck retracted.
This is because this targets extension in the lower cervical region. Since this area is generally locked in flexion, it won’t let you extend it very far. (But the more you do it, it will help loosen up the area and encourage more of a neutral position)
The aim is to go as far as you can comfortably go. A slight “bruisy” sensation is normal. There shouldn’t be any pinching or sharp pain.
Hope this answers your question :)
Mark
Just wanted to let you know how helpful your website has been. Have had multiple rounds of PT and chiropractic care over the last several years. This has been this most effective information in helping me understand what and why my pain is going on and how to fix it. My scapular pain is so much better after just 2 days! And I’m so much more aware throughout the day of my posture. I’ve already begun to share this info with others who are having similar issues. Thanks so much! Hope you will consider doing youtube videos. :)
Hi Lori!
Thanks for letting me know this. I really appreciate it!
It’s awesome to hear that these strategies have helped you.
Cheers for sharing!
Mark
Hello Mark,
I have a disc bulge in the C5-C6 region. It’s slipped to the right, but I have knife like pains on my left neck and shoulder. My chiropractor said I have lost the curve of my neck and have a forward head posture. I have the constant stabbing pains in my left upper trap. I don’t think its from the disc. Could this be tendinitis? Is the forward head causing this pain? Will your exercises work for me?
Hey Jeffrey,
Thanks for the comment.
Findings on scans like your C5-6 disc bulge does not necessarily mean it is the cause of your symptoms.
Forward head posture maybe a probable factor leading to your Left sided pain. And doing these exercises will mostly likely ease some (if not all) of your symptoms relating to poked neck syndrome.
When it comes to ONE sided problems, you need to ask yourself things like the following:
How’s your posture from the back view? Are you leaning to one side? Or rotating your body to one side. Have a think of the work station set up (if you have one), do you have to look to 2 computer and you tend to favour one? Is your head sitting on your shoulders evenly? Is one shoulder higher than the other? etc
It is probably best that your chiropractor assess these factors as it may be causing your Left sided pain specifically.
Hope this helps Jeffrey!
Mark
Hi Mark,
I had a question regarding the chin tuck exercise. How far would you say we need to push our head back when doing this exercise? How do we know when we’ve gone too far?
I’ve been doing this exercise to correct my posture, but I feel like I may be retracting my head too far back or with too much force.
Thanks,
Hey Shane,
When it comes to maintain the ideal posture, you want to align your ear canal so that it falls in line with your shoulder joint (providing that your shoulder joint is in the right position).
When doing retraction exercises, go as far as the body will allow you providing that it is not causing any pain or discomfort.
You’ll usually find that you are at your limit when your throat is being squashed.
Mark
Hi Mark, I’m currently in school to become a Registered Massage Therapist and I appreciate this blog spot as forward head posture seems to affect many clients I treat here in our student clinic. That said, I have a person in mind whom has forward head posture and tends to experience numbness while preparing food in the kitchen and while driving. I suspect this client has Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, more specifically relating to the anterior scalenes and would like to provide some stretching exercise as home care. I was wondering if you can help recommend any further exercises you feel would be beneficial for this client.
Thank you.
Hi Jessica,
If anterior scalenes are causing nerve issue, it is even more important to do these exercises for Forward head posture.
Additionally – I find that with people with over active scalenes, they tend to be breathing incorrectly. These people use their neck muscles to pull air into their lungs.
Try teaching your patint Diaphragmatic Breathing techniques to allow for the scalenes to relax.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! The Diaphragmatic Breathing and glides are a great ideas. Also, I’m thinking of working on the fascia around the clavicle/pecs and anywhere restrictions are felt and seen with decrease ROM which may be aiding pulling the C/S forward. When lying prone, this client has also been known to go numb around the inferior angle of the scapula on one side. After digging a little deeper, I am thinking that it may also be beneficial in strengthening the rhomboid muscles which are overstretched and the levator scapula which feels weak in hopes that it might just take some of the strain off the dorsal scapular nerve. Can you please provide your thoughts on this? Thank you for your help! Jes
Hey hey,
Working on the restricted fascia around the neck is a great idea too! Combining your release with neck movements will be even better.
If you are suspecting that the Dorsal scapular nerve is involved:
a) Gently release the scalenes. The nerve can get choked in this area.
b) Check around C5 level. (This is a common region of the neck to be squashed especially if you have a Forward head posture or a Dowager’s hump.) You can try stretching away from the symptomatic side to see if that gives some alleviation of nerve symptoms.
Mark
Thank you so much for your advice! Really appreciate it!
I just finished doing your 6 exercises. I thank you for your knowledge and willingness to share. I was on my computer for about an hour and a half this evening. When I got off and sat down in another room, I had terrible pain at the base of my skull which radiated with clicking sounds; upwardly on each side of my head. I was desperate for relief. This is when you became a God send! Naively, I had no idea of my poor posture while sitting at my computer. I have actually been doing the opposite of retrieving my neck and chin inward. I have some relief and I will continue with your exercises. Thank you so very much and God bless you!
Hey Robin!
That’s awesome!
With continued effort, a bit of time and determination, I am sure your pain will go away with these exercises.
Mark
hi mark. so i have noticed my forward head for about 10 months now and when i feel the vertebrae it feels like there is a lot of space between them on my neck and i can feel the vertebrae rounding. when it is like that is it just the muscles that need to be fixed or once the veryebrae are like that it is stuck like that
Hey Sammy,
It sounds like you have a Dowager’s Hump.
Check out this post to see if it is what you have.
Mark
Hi Mark,
Thank you for this blog. I have been experiencing neck, shoulder and back pain for almost a month now. I do recognized I have forward head posture after reading your post. 10 months ago I started doing strength exercises (burpee, mountain climbers, squats with weights, plank…). Not sure if those exercises contributed to my pains and aches or were the pain solely due to my forward head posture. Anyhow, I just started (I just did it once before posting this comment) the exercises you recommended for forward head posture but the pain (neck and shoulder areas) got worst. Is it suppose to be that? Will the pain eventually decreased overtime as I continue doing these exercises? Thank you!
Hi there,
Try to ease into these exercises.
If you push it too far, it can definitely flare things up. (But it won’t last)
Was it a particular exercise that was the issue? You may need to focus on the pain-free ones first, and then progress as appropriately.
Mark
Thank you for your reply. The particular exercise that make it worst was the chin tuck. Not sure if I did it wrongly or because I wasn’t use to it. I will follow your advise to ease into these exercises instead of doing all of them in one sitting. Thanks again!
Hi Ze,
It is likely that your head isn’t “used to” going in that movement.
Don’t worry. It gets easier !
Mark
Thank you Mark!
Ze
hey I’m 15 years old. A little over two years ago i started playing video games nearly 6 hours every day. sometimes 13 hours and as time went by i began to get forward head posture, the big issue is that I’m nearly 190 cm tall and that made it even worse. i used to play with my friend who have done the same as me, just for ten years more than i have. then i had a big argument with my mom about the gaming. i stopped playing video games and started going more out. then my friends kindly told me that i should fix my posture and start working out ( i did my best to avoid getting sweaty and doing something that was physically hard, now i love the feeling of going exhausted to bed and taking a nice cold bath after two hours in the gym, i discovered that the feeling is actually great). Then i started doing fitness, and while i was looking on the internet i fell over this site. Now two months has passed and i begin to see a big improvement with my posture i have done all the extercises nearly every day in two months and will continue doing it as long as possible. Thank you so much for making this detailed guide it have helped me alot bless you.
I’m sorry if you got bored reading it but i really wanted to get this out.
( i felt like getting old in a young age).
your article is great.
Hey Morgan,
That’s fantastic news!
I love it when my readers come back after a couple of months after doing the exercises and say that there has been a lot of improvement!
Keep up the good work and let me know if you have further questions.
Mark
Great article Mark! Very informative and helpful.
Cheers Prabal!
Hi! I have terrible neck and right scapular pain along with ulnar nerve discomfort that includes numbness from back through my elbow down to my pinky. It keeps me from sleeping and doing things I enjoy such as painting. Can bad posture and forward head cause this? I have experienced it for about 4 years now and it seems to just be getting worse. I have tried everything including massage, injections and seeing a chiropractor. Thanks for any advice!
Hi Patty,
A forward head posture can cause nerve issues like you have described.
With ulnar nerve involvement, the C8/T1 joint in the nerve is usually the level involved.
Have you had a scan to rule out any joint or disc issues at this level?
Mark
thanks for your quick reply. I had a lumbar scan but not a cervical scan. When I was going to the chiropractor he told me that c7 looked compressed though.
You can try doing Ulnar Nerve Glides to see if that frees up your nerve. A quick google/youtube search will show you how to do it quickly.
Also with Ulnar nerve issues, NEVER sleep with your arms in the bent position. Keep them straight. The ulnar nerve gets aggravated with prolonged elbow flexion.
Mark
I will try those too. Thank you!
Hi Ian currently 6 months pregnant and I have been experiencing neck and shoulder pain since the beginning of my pregnancy. sometimes at night I get tingling in my fingers. I see a physical therapist and it’s been helping. I was wondering if I can incorporate some of these excerisises in to what i do mostly shoulder pull backs and some light stretching. I get worried about it. I just wonder if I will I be able to fix it I am a 30 yr stay at home mom and student.
Hey Crystal,
You can do all the exercises on this page except for the one where you are lying on your stomach. They will help you!
Tingling in the hand/fingers during pregnancy is usually associated with natural increase in fluid retention in your body which can result in carpal tunnel syndrome.
Mark
Ps. Not too sure who Ian is lol :P
Hi Mark,
I have a little double chin right now.I wonder,if I do these exercises will it become more pronounced?I really want to fix my neck but also I don’t want a salient jowl.Please help me.
Hey Maggie,
Whilst doing the exercises with strict form, it is likely that it will give you a bit of a double chin.
However, when you are not doing the exercises, you can just slightly tuck the chin in. This should not give the appearance of a double chin.
Once your muscles/joints loosen up and you are able to achieve the ideal head/neck position, the double chin appearance will actually be less.
Mark
Maggie: as someone who had a pretty bad case of forward head posture and fixed it using Mark’s techniques, I confirm to you that it did not create a double chin. In fact, I’ve been getting comments from people telling me that I look taller and in better shape!
Awesome stuff John!
Hello Mark!
In less than two months of doing these exercises on a daily basis, I have reduced the distance between my head and the wall in a resting position from 4 inches to half an inch. I have been doing these exercises twice a day, 7 days a week for nearly two months. My migraines are gone and my neck pain has reduced considerably.
I OWE you. Let me know if I can help in any way. In fact, let me know HOW I can help you!
John from Québec, Canada
Hey John,
THAT’S AWESOME!
Keep up the good work.
Let me know if I can help you out with anything else.
Mark
Hi there thanks for this informative piece I will definitely try it out. I know you talked about sleeping position in your article I was wondering if you could further elaborate on that, as when i wake up from sleeping i find i am already in a flex hunched forward neck posture. What do you recommend in terms of pillow and sleeping positions to avoid this? As every time i wake up i am tense and sore and in that posture.
Hi Al,
If you are sleeping on your back, you need to make sure that your pillow is not too high. This will push your neck forward and hunched.
Make sure the curve of your neck is supported and neutral head is maintained.
If you are on your side, try to have your top arm supported by hugging a thick pillow. If your top arm falls forward, this will bring your shoulders and neck forward with it as well.
Mark
Hello Mark, I’ve recently been trying to correct my horrible forward head posture, and came across this website.
I’m a 16 year old 6’2″male and I believe that my forward head/rolled shoulders are caused by the horrible way I had always sat in front of my computer.
If I stand comfortably, my shoulders are hunched over my body and my head pokes out like a turtle. I’ve been doing these excercizes for a few days now and have been working on keeping correct posture throughout the whole day.
If I continue to do this, should my neck point more in a vertical direction rather than angled out from my body as it is now? I’m worried that after working on it for a while, I will be able to hold good posture, but it will look awkward and forced like it does when I try now.
I’m trying everything I can to fix my problems and would love it if you could help me out some more.
Thanks
Lucas
Hi Lucas,
Your body has learnt the wrong way to hold up your posture. This is your default position.
It feels awkward and forced as you are fighting against your wrongly learnt default position.
To fix this:
– Strengthen the weak muscles
– Stretch the tight muscles
– Train your neuromuscular system to automatically hold good posture (this is all about practice)
Once these are addressed, good posture will become natural for you.
It has taken a long time for you to develop your posture, so it is going to take time to fix it.
Hope this helps!
Mark
Hi Mark
Your site is very helpful and I was hoping to ask a few additional questions regarding the appropriateness of the neck exercises you described for my particular neck issue. I have never had neck or back pain until the past year after having a baby. In early December I awoke with an intense pain in my lower neck that has not gone away and seems to at times be getting worse (can feel effects in my arms and back at times so I think there might be a nerve issue). I think the problem originated from assuming a hunched position while nursing and tending to look down at my baby when in this position. It seems that it may have been further aggravated by a couple of instances during which I fell asleep when nursing and woke up with my head hanging forward and my chin close to my chest. I know the exercises you described are intended for people who are sedentary for most of the day and/or spend a lot of time on computers or other devices. I wanted to get your opinion as to whether the exercises might be beneficial for me or whether you think I might have caused more serious damage than these exercises could remedy.
Hello Lori,
These exercises will most definitely help you out.
I would just be a bit careful if you suspect you have a nerve problem.
Do you have a Dowager’s hump? Check it out here.
Mark
Hi Mark!
First of all Thank you so much to make this website! you had no idea how long I search something like this website on google and yea I almost given up. At first I open your website/blog I thought this detailed website at the end of sentences will sell something(book, pill, etc.) but you dont and I’m kinda wondering what is your motivation to make this website? and yeah been doing this exercise for the past 5 days and at the first day it’s hurt so much to do this but the next day it’s become easier. sorry for the long story :p
and Mark here’s the question, hope you dont bother I ask a lot of question cause I’m really eager to fix my posture:
Can I do Push up, Sit up or any other excercise and what simple exercise Should I do and don’t?
Thank you Mark and I hope you all the best in career and your life. and Happy New Year Mark!
P.S. Sorry for grammar mistake I’m still learning
Haikal
Hey Haikal,
My inspiration for posting these blog articles was to originally help my own patients at the clinic. As I usually talk very fast and need to say a lot in a session, I find that having something to read afterwards helps out heaps.
In regards to what other exercises you can do… you can do pretty much do anything that doesn’t cause your neck pain/posture to get worse.
If it hurts – change the way you do the exercise, If it still hurts, then probably best to try a different exercise.
Mark
Mark,
I have swayback – diagnosed by an X-ray. The most comfortable position for me to work on my laptop is sitting on the floor on a very dense foam pad leaning against a large foam triangle that is against the wall. My legs are straight out with my heels “falling” off the edge of the foam pad. Is it bad for me to do work in this position? Sid
Hey Sid,
I wouldn’t recommend sitting in this position for a prolonged amount of time. (Especially if you have tight Hamstring muscles)
If your laptop is sitting on your lap in this position (… which I guess is what they were designed for), it will encourage your posture to slouch forward.
Sounds like you need to strengthen your mid section of your body. Can you do any planks?
Mark
Thank you so much for answering! Yes. I can do planks and I will! I love my window seat, but it does appear that it encourages my slouching. Should I be sitting up in a chair instead of leaning back like that ? What about watching TV? Recliners are bad for me?
Hi Sid,
Try to find a supportive ergonomic work chair. It is much better than sitting on the floor.
Recliners are fine, just make sure your head is relaxed back and not poking forward.
Mark
Thank you
Hi Mark,
Your website is great for posture information. Learnt quite a lot of things. Two questions…
1) Can posture problems be corrected permanently with exercise, or effect remains only until you do exercise rigorously.
2) When you say in exercise b to stretch
Instructions:
With your hands at the back of your head, pull your head down.
Aim to feel the stretch at the back of your neck.
Hold for a minimum for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
If the head is already leaning forward, I want to know how this exercise helps, will it not pull it more. I am sure not, but how it works from bio-mechanics standpoint.
Thanks,
John
Hi John,
You will need to continue to do the exercises until your body is “neurologically wired” to hold good posture. I liken it to getting rid of a bad habit. It takes time. Consistency. And strategies to prevent yourself from going back to your bad posture.
In regards to the stretch, the aim is to stretch the back portion of your neck. These muscles are very active in a Forward Head posture.
The stretch is performed in a motion where the chin goes towards the chest, whereas, in a forward head position, the chin is goes away from the chest (… or pokes forward).
If you were to do the stretch where the chin goes away from the chest (poking forward), then this would make the head posture worse.
Hope this makes sense! If not, let me know :)
Mark
Hi Mark!
Is it okay to go jog if you had a Forward Head Posture?
Hey Haikal,
You sure can!
Just make sure you keep that chin slightly tucked in and the back of the neck elongated towards the sky. Keep it RELAXED.
(And don’t run with your chin leading in front of you. This is very common!)
Mark
Hi, for #1 you mentioned a particular muscle underneath the base of the skull that will be tight and needs to be stretched. What is this muscle called and why is it exactly tight again if one has FHP?
Here is a picture of the muscles in the Sub-occipital region:
Together – they cause Hyperextension of the upper neck joints when they are tight. This is seen in the Forward head posture.
Mark
Hi.
I have pain on my shoulders and back of my neck. This started several weeks ago, seemingly suddenly. The only difference is I’ve been doing more computer work for longer periods of time. My posture is terrible. So I was thankful when muy employer emailed a self- care message with your website included.
I’ve started doing the stretches you suggest because I do, in fact have forward head posture. I would like to fix this.
I have a couple concerns. One is that I’ve noticed since the pain started, my shoulders hurt all night while I am on bed. I’ve been sleeping with little to no pillow. I sleep on my back most of the night because I have sleep apnea and I use a CPAP.
The other concern is that during the day, when I’m up and around and not working on my computer, my shoulders and neck do not hurt a much, but if I’m holding an object and, for example pouring liquid into a cup, it feels like I’m going to lose my grip and drop the object when I move a certain way.
I have changed my work space on order to sit properly. The field I am in has a high risk for repetitive stress injury and I’m getting up there on age and don’t want to become a statistic.
Any thoughts will be appreciated.
Hi Melani,
It sounds like you are placing your body in a position where it is not used to.
The main thing I would recommend is try to not stay in the one static position for too long. Get up, go for a walk, go toilet etc to break up the prolonged sitting.
If you are not able to get out of your chair, try doing shoulder rolls every 15-20 minutes.
30 Reps.
The trick is do this exercise as regular as you can to prevent the pain from starting. Once the pain starts at work, it is often difficult to stop it in the short term.
In the long term, you will need to try to fix your posture. (this whole website is dedicated to help you with that :) )
Thank you.
I’ve setup my work station so that I am in the correct posture. My pain seems to be getting worse as the days go by, especially when I am sleeping. I wake up to excruciating pain in my shoulders. I’ve been sleeping with a roll under my neck that a chiropractor told me to use.
Hi Melani,
Have you tried sleeping up on an incline ? This may help take the pressure off your shoulders/neck.
Also have a looking at this post on sleeping position.
Mark
Hi again Mark,
Thank you SO much for your quick response to my question.
I have another question. When starting to correct posture, is it common to start hurting in other places?
Hi again,
Yes – other areas can start to hurt as you may be using muscles that you haven’t really used before.
(Just make sure you are performing the exercises correctly. If you do them wrongly, that could also make things worse :O)
Mark
Mark
I am a 63 year old male who has suffered with Forward Head Posture for years. When I stand up against a wall as you demonstrated, my head is about 4 to 5 inches away from the wall. Is that severe? Given how long I’ve had FHP, is it possible to get my posture to a normal level with these exercises? Also can I develop Dowager’s hump by doing these exercises?
Hello Robert,
5 Inches of Forward Head posture (FHP) is quite a bit… *But it’s actually quite common!
Generally speaking, due to the longevity and severity of your FHP, you might not be able to correct it a complete 100%. (and that’s OK)
When addressing your posture, it’s always about aiming for progression and not perfection.
In regards to the Dowager’s Hump, these exercises will actually help fix your Dowager’s Hump.
Check out this post here if you want more info on exercises for Dowager’s Hump.
Mark
hi Mark..im a counselor and once i move downward my head or looking to my computer i feel like sudden weakness and dizzines..im worried about that..
Hi,
Weakness and dizziness may suggests more sinister issues.
Before you do any exercises, I would recommend getting a scan first to make sure that it is nothing serious.
Mark
Greetings from Brazil, and a huge, huge thank you.
To tell you the truth, In the beginning, I was a little skeptical, it just seemed too good to be truth… I was expecting very little improvement, but as I was going for anything to avoid surgeries I tried these exercises out some weeks ago, and today I have literally no pain at all. It just feels like I was given a a brand new neck.
But I got a question: I have a sort of boney lump right at the base of my neck that I thought wouldn’t go away anymore, however, I don’t know how, with these exercises it is getting smaller and smaller… My question is: Can I continue doing theses exercises even without pain , just to see If I can get rid of this lump?
Hi Pedro!
Awesome to see that you have no more neck pain after doing these exercises.
To answer your question – I would definitely continue to do these exercises even if you have no neck pain.
I do them at least 2/week myself :)
Also – it sounds like you have what we call a Dowager’s Hump (very common in Forward head postures). Click here for more info.
Mark
HI there I was wondering how long I should do these exercises for for me to see an improvement..do you think 1 month time is good?…i am 25 years old.
Hi Shifa,
You should be able to see/feel some difference (even if it is a small amount) almost straight away.
However – it can take some time for your newly adopted head position to become natural for you.
Mark
Thank you for your reply..
I was wondering if pilates and yoga will help me improve my posture as well? and how often do you think I should do them?
Hey Shif,
They are fine to do :)
Thank you Mark!, How often should I be doing pilates to help improve posture? and would you recommend a whole body pilates routine?
Hey Shif,
It really depends.
I would start 1/week and work your way up as your body allows it.
Mark
Hi Mark would yoga and Pilates help with correcting posture as well? along with the exercises you have mentioned ? how often would you suggest to do yoga or Pilates ?
Hi Barbara,
Yoga and pilates are great for the whole body in general.
Anything that keeps the body moving and strong is good!
You can start off going 1/ week and see how your body responds to that and adjust accordingly.
Mark
Mark, you are really hot. No I mean really, on fire. See you soon.
Hi there,
I am going to take this as you really like my article of Forward head posture,
Thanks Jen!
Mark
Hi Mark! So pleased I’ve found you! I have had SPD with three pregnancies which has resulted in my pelvis tipping – I think this has affected my posture a lot as I lean to the right (sound out when I went for a lung x-ray and they kept having to push me upright!) this is also affected my head, I know I have forward head posture which has resulted in dowegers hump, I’m very self conscious. Is there any hope? I find certain exercises, although they don’t hurt my neck clicks with each move. I’ll keep persevering in the hope I can regain posture and confidence. Thank you.
Hey Fran!
It’s all about perseverance and consistency when it comes to fixing this problem.
I always say: Small baby steps each time in the right direction!
Clicking is a sign that you are probably moving stiff joints. That is a good thing! (just make sure it isn’t making any of your symptoms worse!~)
Mark
Thanks for great tips about this. Can you tell me how long it would take me to get my head into natural position if I do this exercises daily?From your experience with patients (two fingers protruding from wall)
Hey John,
If your forward head posture is purely due to neck tightness/weakness, it actually shouldn’t take too long to see improvements. I’ve seen patients have improved head posture after 1 session! … On the other hand, I have seen others that can take months.
If it is taking a long time: it may be that you have another postural issue that is causing your forward head posture (like Rounded shoulders, Hunchback posture).
Mark