We’ve all seen the classic “evolution of man” poster, showing a sequence of lesser primates evolving into homo sapiens over time. A slightly comical interpretation of this poster has emerged in recent years that includes an additional figure. This version shows an image of a modern human being, sitting hunched in front of a computer or looking at a phone.

Whatever you think about the topic of evolution, a topic that is far beyond the scope of this column, the final illustration of man’s updated evolution is not controversial. In this representation, the modern human being displays several postural faults, particularly forward head posture. Forward head posture is possibly the most common postural defect in modern humans and is easily observed if you visit any space where people look at their phones or work on the computer.

Ideally, position your head so that your ears are aligned over your shoulders, as this puts the least strain on your neck. Forward head posture, also known as “nerd neck” or “text neck” due to the influence of technology, occurs when the head moves forward relative to this ideal position.

The cost of forward head posture can be enormous. In a textbook he authored, French orthopedic surgeon Dr. Adalbert Kapandji states: “For every inch of forward head posture, the weight of the head on the spine can be increased by an additional 10 pounds.” Let’s do the math. If the average human head weighs about 10 pounds, just three inches of forward head posture can create the stress of a 40-pound head on the spine.

When you take into account this additional stress on the spine, it is no wonder that the prevalence of neck and upper back pain, arm symptoms, and headaches is so high.

The correlation between posture and pain was observed in an interesting study involving healthy volunteers maintaining a forward head posture. These individuals began to feel discomfort after holding this position for only two to fifteen minutes. The discomfort increased over time until participants were finally forced to discontinue the forward head posture. This study nicely demonstrates why musculoskeletal problems often occur without a history of significant or obvious trauma and why many people may not realize exactly why they began to suffer.

That said, being aware of your posture is essential when working on the computer or spending time on the phone. Orienting your workstation so that you sit upright and look straight ahead will help you achieve an ideal head and neck position. Additionally, holding your phone away from you can prevent you from adopting a forward head posture.

Breaking up long, sustained poses is another great way to relieve tension in potentially vulnerable tissues. In a column I wrote last year, “Take care of your joints by reversing what you do all day“I mentioned that one of the best methods to counteract the effects of postural tension is to move in the opposite direction to which we spend most of our time. As for forward head posture, one of the best known exercises to undo excessive mechanical tension, such as “Brugger’s relief position”.

You would perform the exercise as follows:

• Sit upright on the edge of a chair.

• Place your knees a little wider than your hips and turn your feet slightly.

• While looking forward, move your head back until you feel a stretch in your neck.

• Open your hands and turn your shoulders so that your palms face forward.

• Pull your shoulder blades back and down as if you were putting them in your back pockets.

• Breathe deeply through your nose and then out through your mouth, allowing your shoulders to move further back and down.

• Relax and feel the improvement in posture.

• Repeat this sequence several times as long as it does not worsen the symptoms.

When forward head posture is maintained for prolonged periods, certain tissues shorten while others lengthen. Over time, the body will naturally adopt this position as the brain perceives it as normal. By performing the Brugger Relief Pose several times a day, you can go a long way toward mitigating the effect of postural stress on the spine.

The combination of technology and poorly ergonomically designed workspaces has led to a high prevalence of forward head posture in modern humans. While this posture is so common that it is almost considered normal, its effect on the human body can be detrimental. Being aware of how you position your body, making appropriate ergonomic modifications to workspaces, and eliminating postural tensions can go a long way toward combating the effect of forward head posture.

Dr. Jordan Duncan was born and raised in Kitsap County and graduated from Western States University in 2011 with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Practice at Silverdale Sport and Spine. He is one of the few chiropractors in Washington State who are accredited in the McKenzie Method.

This article originally appeared in Kitsap Sun: Fixing Your Posture Can Have Profound Health Benefits