Computer hunchback posture leads to another problem
called forward head posture.
Two Problems in One
Computer-related hunchback almost always leads to another misalignment called forward head posture, also known as FHP. With FHP, the head no longer sits on the neck in a well-aligned way.
This can happen when you crane your neck to better see your monitor. The craning action results in what I call "kinking at the back of the neck."
Craning and kinking are responses to a rounded upper back, or hunchback, often due to of lots of sitting, where the head and gaze are taken downward by gravity.
You need to see your monitor, but...
Listless energy (perhaps due to brain fog), lack of posture support, or both, make it difficult.
So instead of enjoying the easeful feeling that comes with a well-aligned head-to-neck area, you simply lift your head up until your eyes directly face the front of the screen again.
Craning and Kinking are Convenient
Especially if you've lived with muscle tension and poor posture for a while, allowing the craning and kinking habit to continue may seem easier than realigning your head with your neck.
Craning and kinking are subconscious responses to a rounded upper back; they occur below typical, daily awareness. As a result, it's super easy for these poor body use habits to become deeply ingrained.
The good news is that with the right approach, FHP is preventable, manageable and in some cases even reversible. The same is true for the hunchback posture that underlies FHP.
Lighten the Load that
Computer Work Puts On Your Neck
When the head is well-aligned with the rest of the spine, it acts as an extension of that spine. Good head-on-neck alignment offers ease and proper posture for the area.
Stacked vertically on top of the first neck bone, the head puts about 12 pounds of pressure on your neck.
As forward head posture (FHP) develops, the amount of pressure on your neck starts to accumulate, too. Just a moderate case of FHP may increase the pressure to 32 pounds. A severe case could possibly bring the number up to 42 pounds, or even more.
And it only takes being five degrees of misalignment of the head on the neck to start risking damage or an injury to the area.
Five degrees ‘ain’t much. In fact, it’s barely noticeable to the untrained eye.
One more thing.
Neck structures are numerous and delicate; they work together like the intricate pieces of a(n analog) watch. Given this, why would you want to unnecessarily add compression and stress to the area?
Workstation Components:
Two Rules of Thumb
Ergonomics, or how you set up desk, chair and computer pieces, is about getting your workstation elements to fit you, and not the other way around.
Otherwise, you risk stress to your joints and muscles.
Good workstation ergonomics provides outside-in support for your sitting body. Here are two must-dos for good monitor ergonomics:
- Position the top of the monitor so it's approximately level with your eyes, or just a tad lower.
- Distance varies between people, but if you extend your arm out straight, parallel with the floor, your fingers should touch the screen.
A monitor that fits you height- and distance-wise helps keep head and neck in good alignment. The result of a properly configured monitor is relaxed muscles, reduced risk of strain and better posture.
Posture at the Desk:
Two Things to Think About
Ergonomics (discussed above) is an important piece of the puzzle; paying attention to posture during work times is another.
I think of ergonomics as “outside-in posture support,” and posture awareness as “inside-out support.”
Here are two tips to get you started with inside-out posture support:
Location, Location, Location
Become aware of the relationship between the head and the neck. The head should be a vertical extension of the neck rather than forward of it.
It can be challenging to re-establish this alignment if you’ve been craning for a long time. I like to start by helping people exactly locate where the head sits on the neck - at the level of the eyes and ears.
The joint between the head and neck makes a very small nodding movement.
You can experience this for yourself by gently aiming your chin towards (no pushing or jamming, please) the front of the neck.
As you do this, try to relax everything that’s not moving and place your attention at the level of your ears (in between them.) This is where the movement comes from; notice what’s happening there as you nod.
Your neck should feel free and easy for doing this. You may even get a nice muscle release all the way down your spine.
Take Deep Breaths Regularly
While there's more to it than this, deep breathing has the power to subtly change posture and soft tissue quality in the upper back, chest, neck and shoulders.
Performing it regularly may slow down the rate at which upper back muscles lose their strength and vitality due to slumping, slouching and craning. This is particularly true for chronic computer users.
Plus, deep breathing is a great way to refresh your mental focus and keep the brain fog at bay.
Source
Kapandji, I.A., Physiology of the Joints. Vol. 3 The Trunk and the Vertebral Column. 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone. 1974
