| What Is Anterior Head Syndrome? |
Anterior Head Syndrome, or AHS for short, is a serious primary condition affecting millions of people in varying degrees. Anterior Head Syndrome (AHS) is a structural condition in the human body where the head has moved anterior or forward compared to the upper back and shoulders. From the side view of the human frame in the upright stance, the head should be centered directly over the shoulder. Because the ear is fairly centered on the side of the head, a good visual landmark for normal head position is the opening of the ear being centered over the middle of the shoulder.
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| Got Granny Hump? |
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Because AHS is a primary structural condition in the body, it doesn’t necessarily cause pain and symptoms. However, regardless of symptoms, AHS is not normal and will eventually cause permanent damage if not addressed.
AHS causes underlying problems such as Dowager’s Hump (“Granny Hump”), muscular tension/spasm, nerve impingement syndrome, compressed (degenerated) spinal disc, and damaged (degenerated) vertebra. These underlying problems can cause a host of secondary conditions (aka symptoms) such as: arm pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, digestive conditions (including reflux), dizziness (vertigo), fibromyalgia, headaches of all types, low back pain, neck pain, numbness and tingling, posture related issues (including poor appearance), sinus conditions, TMJ, and vision and hearing problems…to name a few.
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Several things happen to the body when the head is forward compared to the shoulder. For starters, the average adult human head weighs between 12 and 14 pounds and it takes virtually zero muscle effort to hold the head upright when it is centered over the shoulders. For every inch forward of AHS, the apparent weight of the head increases by at least 10-15 pounds, and the muscle effort needed to sustain that position skyrockets. This may be why you feel so sore and tired even after an “easy” day. Just imagine holding a bowling ball above your head with one arm and then holding that ball in front of you with one arm… you will definitively feel the muscle effort difference when the ball is not centered with the body.
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Secondly, when the head goes forward, the normal cervical (neck) curve gets disrupted. This disruption strains the spinal cord and nerves and also puts abnormal stress on an area of the base of the brain called the brainstem. This stress on the brainstem alters brain chemistry and tension. Altered brain chemistry has been shown to cause issues like chronic pain, depression, weight gain, psychological issues, etc. Altered brain chemistry is not normal and can cause serious conditions.
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| Many prestigious medical journals and health clinics have already proven that AHS causes spinal decay, disc herniation, pinched nerves, sympathetic nerve issues, and many more issues.
If the problem of AHS isn’t addressed, permanent remodeling damage will occur in the spine (in the form of arthritis and decay).
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When AHS gets reduced, brain chemistry alterations start to normalize. When there is a decrease in AHS, muscle effort decreases, the body functions better, and the nervous system has much less stress upon it. Think of how much additional energy you would have if your body didn’t have to exert all that extra muscle effort just to hold the head in an upright position… Similar to removing bad programs from your hard-drive in order to speed up your Computer.
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Aside from the anatomical and physiological issues associated with AHS, there are many societal aspects of having “poor posture”. “Sit up straight, don’t slouch, get your head up….” These are all phrases that we can associate with; they’ve been drummed into our brains by anyone and everyone. Subconsciously, when we see someone for the first time, or at a distance, our brain is picking up on several factors about that person. One of the biggest factors is their posture and body positioning. When we see someone with their shoulders back and their head held high we might be thinking: confident, on top of the world, healthy, etc. When we see someone who is slumped and the head is forward we will have different subconscious thoughts and feelings. As much as we say that those things don’t matter to us when we see someone, it can’t be helped; our brain is hard-wired in to making generalizations on first impressions.
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So whether you’re concerned about developing the “Granny Hump” posture or concerned about negative brain chemistry, Anterior Head Syndrome is a serious condition that needs to be addressed in today’s population.
See Common Treatments.
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