Actionable Tips For Improving Your Posture
- Your computer monitor should be ergonomically correct. Make sure your monitor sits so that the top third of your screen is level with your line of sight.
- Sit up straight, and position your chin at a 45-degree angle from the chest.
- Sit in an ergonomic chair with adequate spinal support, adjusted specially for your height.
- If you need to look upward, bend your neck instead of craning forward.
As for spending hours on your mobile devices, use these tips for better posture:
- Take breaks, and rest your muscles every 20 minutes.
- The reading angle of your tablet or smartphone should be eye level, so you arent looking down or dropping your neck.
- If youre sitting with your device, position your head over your shoulders, and drop your shoulders back and down.
- Perform regular exercises and stretches to prevent tight neck and shoulder muscles.
If you experience frequent headaches, it may be time to realign your spine and work on your posture. Book an appointment at McGowen Medical Centers today to begin your journey toward a better posture.
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How Long Does It Take To Correct Posture
Thirty days can make a real difference in improving posture, because research shows that it takes 3 to 8 weeks to establish a routine. This guide will help you establish a morning, night, and sitting routine that benefits your posture and body as a whole, says Marina Mangano, founder of Chiro Yoga Flow.
Is Your Working Posture Giving You Headaches
Its generally accepted that we all spend nearly one-third of our lives working. So its not surprising that much of our pain is caused by poor posture and habits during the working hours. Below are a few common postures particularly in the work-from-home era that can lead to headaches:
- Slouching or hunching while sitting
- Sitting on a bed or any soft surface with no back support while working
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What Are The Symptoms Of A Cervicogenic Headache
- Headache on one side of the head
- Vague pain on one side of the neck, shoulder and arm
- Moderate, non-excruciating pain usually in a non-throbbing nature
- Pain starting from the neck, eventually spreading into the head, which is where the maximum pain is usually located
- Pain triggered by neck movement and / or sustained awkward position
- Headaches experienced after sustaining neck trauma
- Autonomic symptoms and signs
- Tenderness along the base of the skull
Move Of The Month: Seated Knee Lift

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Builds abdominal strength.
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Sit on a stability ball or chair with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides.
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Exhale as you lift your right knee and left hand straight toward the ceiling. Return to the starting position.
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Repeat 10 times.
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Repeat the process by lifting with your left knee and right handExercise image by Michael Carroll
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How Does My Poor Posture Cause Cervicogenic Headaches
A slouched, chin poke posture causes cervicogenic headaches by:
- Placing stress on the upper cervical joints particularly C0/1, C2/3 and C3/4
- Causing restriction and cervical joint stiffness over time
- Altering your cervical and shoulder girdle muscle function causing shortening of particular neck and anterior shoulder muscles and creating tender trigger points
- Causing sensitisation of cervical neural tissues
- Increasing suboccipital muscle tone and tenderness, as it acts as a protective measure for your upper cervical spine
- Adding strain on the surrounding upper cervical neural and muscle structures
Posture Abnormalities Can Cause Tension Headaches
Eight out of ten of us know the symptoms, dull, tightness, and pressure in the area of your forehead or stiffness or squeezing at the neck and back of the head. Sometimes called stress headaches, they are all too common in adults but fortunately preventable. Correcting posture could be one measure that is useful in cutting down the frequency or severity of these episodes.
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Get A Good Nights Sleep
Posture practice to deal with migraine isnt limited to the work or school day. Set yourself up for a day of success by focusing on your sleep. Consider sleeping on your side and limit the amount of time spent sleeping on your stomach, as it puts added pressure on the spine. Use pillows to support your head and neck for added comfort. Ultimately, your sleeping posture should support a neutral spine position including the head, neck, upper, and low back.
The American Migraine Foundation is committed to improving the lives of those living with this debilitating disease. For more of the latest news and information on migraine, visit the AMF Resource Library or Pediatric Migraine Content Hub. For help finding a healthcare provider, check out our Find a Doctor tool. Together, we are as relentless as migraine.
Reviewed for accuracy by the American Migraine Foundations subject matter experts, headache specialists and medical advisers with deep knowledge and training in headache medicine. to read about our editorial board members.
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Poor Posture Can Cause Headaches
There are 3 major types of headaches:
Cluster and migraine headaches generally are due to a problem with the blood vessels while tension headaches are typically due to poor posture. Tension headaches usually cause a dull pain in the head, neck, temples, scalp or shoulders.
Forward head posture is a leading cause of neck pain, headaches, and shoulder pain. For every inch your head is located more forward from sitting right on top of your shoulders, the perceived weight of your head increases by 10 pounds.
Steps to improve posture:
If these steps do not improve your posture, schedule an appointment at Harbor Physical Therapy to address tight musculature and receive a catered exercise program based upon your presentation.
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The Difference Between Migraines And Headaches
As you may have noticed in the section above, migraines and headaches are not synonymous. There are a variety of differentiating factors between the two.
It is important to know the difference between headaches and migraines in order to best treat your head pain.
There are many types of headaches, but the most common one is a tension headache. These headaches can be triggered by stress, anxiety, or discomfort.
Another type of headache is a sinus headache, which occurs when you have a sinus infection. One symptom of this headache includes facial pressure, which is why they are sometimes mistaken for migraines. However, they are often accompanied by a runny nose and fever.
Migraines, as noted above, have unique symptoms such as light and noise sensitivity, vomiting, aura, and throbbing pain.
Can Bad Posture Cause Migraines
Yoga Guides
Can bad posture cause migraines? As a child, most people would had heard their mother telling them to stand up straight. As it turns out, standing up straight and having the proper posture not only helps to prevent back-pain, it also helps prevents migraines!
According to a study by the National Headache Foundation, millions of Americans aged 15 to 55 suffer from migraines. The study points to the fact that this population is often slouched over a screen of some sort, whether its a laptop, tablet, or a smartphone, and the prolonged slouching position builds up the pressure around the neck and the head. Its important to note that with every inch that the neck bends forward, an extra 10 pounds of weight is placed on the muscles of the neck!
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How Do You Change Bad Posture
While neck pain, back pain, and headaches are the most obvious side effects of working at a desk job, spending your day sitting also increases your risk for developing several other diseases.
Evaluate Daily Habits
Look for any areas of your daily activities that are imbalanced. Make changes where you can and start to sit up straight when looking at your phone. You want to eliminate or modify as many uneven activities as possible, then add in the right stretches and exercises to counteract the activities you can’t change.
Focus On The Right Stretches
For people that sit at a computer all day, the front of your neck, chest, and shoulders are all too tight. In the lower back area, the hamstrings and hip rotators bear the brunt of sitting all day. Spending time consistently stretching these areas will make a huge difference in how you feel. However, patients most commonly stretch the back of their neck, which is already too long and does not need to be stretched. Stretching muscles that are already too long will just make your posture worse.
Add In Posture Correcting Exercises
Most overlooked by patients trying to improve posture is adding in exercises. They usually just try to remember to sit up straight or by using some sort of brace or support. Instead, focus on building strength in the muscles that are becoming weaker due to bad posture. Your rhomboid muscles, your teres minor muscle, and your paraspinals all tend to be weaker when sitting at a computer all day.
Some Causes Of Dizziness

There are some potential causes of cervical vertigo, many of which are related to traumatic neck injuries or chronic long-term injuries.
The diagnosis itself remains somewhat controversial. In fact, a study in the Archives of Physiotherapy notes indicates that health professionals do not fully understand the exact cause of the symptoms and that it is difficult to accurately diagnose the disease.
There is currently no definitive test or remedy for the condition, so doctors usually try other things and rule them out to find cervical dizziness.
A recent study published in the journal Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology found that people with cervical vertigo may look like migraine sufferers who also have neck injuries and 94% of people with cervical vertigo report neck pain. neck.
Muscles, nerves and neck joints send signals, including signals about the bodys orientation, to the brain and inner ear. It is part of the bodys efforts to stay balanced and coordinated.
Can bad posture cause dizziness? Continue reading to find out more
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The problems listed below can cause one or more signs and symptoms of dizziness:
Injuries
Traumatic injuries, such as a car accident or other causes of whiplash, can cause head and neck damage, which can cause dizziness in the neck.
A slipped Disc
Osteoarthritis
Atherosclerosis
Bad posture
This can put additional pressure on the arteries of the neck and cause neck pain and dizziness in some people.
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How To Tell If Your Posture Has The C
Viewed in profile, this misaligned torso is “C-shaped” in both length and width, with head, neck, shoulders, and arms pulled forward, chest and ribs collapsed, mid-back rounded, and tailbone tucked under. Over time, this head-forward posture produces pain, fatigue, numbness, and muscle imbalance.
It’s like holding a bowling ball out in front of your body and carrying it around. The muscles and fascia in the shoulders, neck, and lower skull are constantly contracted and get built up, just like biceps curls build arms but in this case, they get built because you’re out of alignment! This buildup can become so dense that the head is unable to pull back over the shoulders and begins to form a premature hump over the C6 and C7 vertebrae.
Whether you’re leaning forward or back, if your head and neck are held in front of your body, the C-curve happens. When you lean back in an executive chair or a driver’s seat, ostensibly to relax, your head also has to come forward in order to see what you’re doing.
The head-forward posture can also result from what we carry. Children begin carrying backpacks early, starting with five pounds of books and supplies in grade school and continuing through high school and college, where they might lug around eighteen to thirty pounds. In order to avoid being pulled over backward by the weight, they lean over at the waist with the upper body pulled forward for balance.
Curing Headaches And Migraines With Correct Posture
One of the first things to do to improve your posture and create a body that is less prone to headaches and migraines is to make a concerted effort to drop your shoulders down to the ground as often as you can. If you type on a computer all day or spend copious amounts of time hunched over your phone, laptop, or tablet, chances are you are hunching your shoulders upward without realizing it.
Whats more, you need to start sitting up straight, whether its while youre watching TV at home or sitting in your office chair.
Dont be shy to take frequent breaks during the day either so that you can change your posture and give your spine the chance to move through a range of positions. Exercises that are designed to strengthen your core muscles are also good for correcting your posture.
Stand in front of a mirror, and observe your posture closely. Go through the movements of lifting something heavy, and take a good look at your spine and overall posture.
Ready to make more improvements?
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What Are The Common Types And Causes Of Neck Pain And Headaches
There are many reasons why you might be suffering from a headache or neck pain or both.
3 Cervicogenic Headaches
Migraine Headaches
This is a neurological condition that can cause multiple symptoms. Migraines are identified by throbbing headaches often followed by nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine headaches are often hereditary and affect women more frequently than men.
According to Spine-Health, out of the 12% of the population experiencing migraines headaches, nearly half complain about neck pain before and/ or during the episode of migraine.
Tension Headaches
These are the most common types of headaches. Tension headaches are often described as mild to severe pain behind the eyes and in the head and neck. They are closely associated with the tightness of the neck and head muscles.
Emotional stress, poor posture, and sedentary lifestyle are huge contributors to tension headaches.
Cervicogenic Headaches
They are secondary headaches. Secondary means that they are caused by underlying conditions. According to Medical News Today, conditions include neck injuries, structural problems in the neck, or constant strain on the neck due to the nature of one’s job, for example, office workers, hairstylists, or manual labor.
The cervicogenic headaches originate in the neck and radiate towards the head. These headaches are often associated with pain on one side of the head and stiffness in the neck.
S To A Quick Posture Fix For Neck Pain And Headache
- 5 Steps to a Quick Posture Fix for Neck Pain and Headache.
Fact: bad posture can cause headaches. Fact 2: neck pain and headache are often married- meaning one can trigger another.
Neck pain and headache are very common complaints in our modern-day desk-bound world. As many as 47% of Americans suffer from a regular headache. We spend hours craning the neck in front of our computers, and after we step away from the workstation, we take that bad posture with us. We switch from computer to smartphone to driving to house chores- all with our ever-present forward head position. This repetitive postural abnormality causes a lot of tension in the upper back and neck muscles.
Wouldnt it be nice to fix your posture and avoid the unpleasant neck pain and headaches?
In this article, Im going to write about why do we experience these throbbing headaches and why it is crucial to keep the position of your head in mind . Im also going to give you a few examples of how you can fix your posture with a few simple techniques. So read on.
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A Link Between Poor Posture And Headaches
If youve ever suffered from a migraine, chances are youve done everything you can to find and stop any potential triggers. Whether its ditching your favorite perfume, giving up your favorite food, or even banning chocolate from the house. Yet, researchers have found that the one trigger you might have overlooked is posture.
Incorrect posture and headaches are connected. In other words, the way you stand and sit influences both the severity and frequency of your headaches.
In todays texting, typing, head-down world, our heads seem to be constantly forward, and this can trigger migraines or headaches.
If youre tired of feelings of tightness, dullness, and pressure in your forehead or squeezing and stiffness at the back of your head and neck, there is good news. With correct posture, you may be able to cut down on both the frequency and the severity of your headaches.
Causes Of Bad Posture
- Muscle Tension and Weakness
- Technology Devices
Using a tablet or a cell phone, sitting at a computer all day, and operating several devices at once can gradually take your body out of alignment. You may develop pain around your neck and shoulders when you text incessantly because of too much flexion or bending forward for too long. This causes pain and can lead to headaches.
Muscles can spasm after an injury as a way of protecting the affected area. Although muscle spasms can stabilize the vulnerable area for a while, it limits your movements causing pain. When this continues for a prolonged period, they create an imbalance between the muscles that are working normally and those that are guarding the injury.
- Daily Habits/Work Routine
You can abandon good posture because of your daily routine as your body tries to find other ways to accommodate tension, weakness, and imbalance between muscle groups. Your body may be forced to alternate in these situations but your patterns of muscle contraction and stretch will operate less efficiently.
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