Keep your head up...it may help your back

I recently was reading an article in Massage magazine (Oct.2009) by Eric Stephensen. The article was about body mechanics for massage therapists but many of the points can be applied to everyone. One point that really stood out was how head posture can really affect strain on the body, especially the spine. According to Renee Cailliet, M.D., the human head weighs 10 lbs. If the head is positioned directly in the center of the shoulders, the load on the spine is only 10 lbs. As the head is moved forward, such as when you slouch or are looking down at work on a desk, the load is increased 10 lbs. for every inch that the center of the ear is moved in front of the shoulders. This added load places strain on the whole spine including the discs, joints, and nerves. As the article points out, if your head is positioned only 3 inches if front of your shoulders, you are placing 30 pounds of stress on your spine! So the pain in your back may have just as much to do with the position of head and neck as it does with the position of your back. So, throughout your day do what mom said, "Don't slouch!" it can save your back.