The effects of posture on health are becoming more evident. Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse, and lung capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture. The corollary of these observations is that many symptoms, including pain, may be moderated or eliminated by improved posture.

One of the most predominate postural problems is the forward head posture, or FHB. We are a forward-facing world. The repetitive use of computers, texting, video games, trauma and even backpacks have forced the body to adapt a forward head posture. Repetitive movements in a certain direction will strengthen nerve and muscle pathways to move that way readily. It is the repetition of forward head movement, combined with poor ergonomic posture and/or trauma, that causes the body to adapt to a forward head posture.

Ideally, your head should sit directly on the neck and shoulders. The weight of your head is approximately the weight of a bowling ball (10-14 pounds). So, by holding it forward, out of alignment, puts strain on your neck and upper back muscles. According to Dr. Adalbert I. Kapandji, an orthopedic surgeon and the author of "Physiology of the Joints, Volume Three," for every inch your head is craned forward, 10 pounds of effective weight is added. The additional force on your upper back and neck tissues caused by a forward head position - anterior head carriage - places significant stain on your muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves, and can result in the onset of muscle tension headaches and other musculoskeletal problems.

When spinal tissues are subjected to a significant load for a sustained period of time, they deform and undergo remodeling changes that could become permanent. This is why it takes time to correct FHB.

The first step in correcting FHB is to be examined and x-rayed to determine the exact measurement of the FHB. Once that is determined, a specific corrective care program can be determined. Second, make sure that your computer stations at home/work are ergonomically correct. Every 20-30 minutes, sit up straight and pull the neck and head back over the shoulders and hold for 20-30 seconds and do 15 repetitions. For children, backpacks should be no more than 15 percent of their bodyweight.

Remember, long-standing postural problems like FHB will cause spine and nerve damage, and symptoms are rarely present early on. Monitoring good posture is a lifetime commitment.

Dr. Wayne Fichter is the lead doctor at Disk and Spine Northwest, a comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation center specializing in the treatment of serious, chronic back pain, acute injuries and postural/scoliosis problems. Contact him at diskandspinenorthwest.com or (208) 215-3261.