Forward Head Position: A Cause of Scoliosis

[Sara]

Does anyone have any experiance, research or opinion on FHP (Forward Head Position) as a cause of scoliosis. I have read a couple of opinions linking the two as well as my own personal experiance with FHP from an early age and now discovering I have scoliosis.

Also, does anyone have any research or information about fixing FHP?

[LATigner]

My daughter's chiro has found forward head position is present in most (all?) of his patients with scoliosis. Don't know if it causes the scoliosis, adds to it or is a side effect. He treats this with head weighting and I believe other doctors do also. People without scoliosis can also have FHP, sometimes because the curve in their neck is not normal.

[sweetness514]

I noticed that my head now, at the age of 35 after having had the surgery 8 years ago does lean forward, but when I was a teen and my curve grew, it was not at all. I think for some people it could be that the two are linked, but in my case I do believe that as a result of being very skinny and having terrible posture-wich the scoliosis didn't help, it's the chicken or the egg question - did cause my scoliosis to worsen, until I wore my brace that is.

[always smilin']

Same here

I don't know much about the head leaning forward as onset, but I feel (also at age 35) that I'm leaning more forward now. I was also pretty skinny when I was younger and grew tall quickly (although now I'm only 5'4). I think that's why scoliosis is often considered idiopathic...no one really knows why us lucky ones are chosen to endure scoliosis

[Sara]

what is "head weighting" and can this be done at home?

[sportsdoc]

I'm a practicing chiropractor and can definitely tell you that FHP is rampant among non-scoliotic population...It isn't unique to scoliosis sufferers..

Head weighing system is basically, one of the common technic used in correcting FHP...btw, it is one aspect of protocol with series of procedures..

you put weight dainging in front of your head while walking or doing other types of acitivites that stimulate mechanoreceptors to bombard your brain with proprioceptive stimulation...

[bon]

I was told that a whiplash I had as a young teen caused my c-spine to curve the wrong way, and I figured that's why I have the forward head position. ???

[bon]

I'm going to ask my chiropractor about the head weighting treatment--thanks, SportsDoc! Do you know if whiplash causes the c-spine to curve backward instead of forward, or is that just part of my scoliosis? I never wore a neck brace for it- the doc at the time just sent me home with muscle relaxers.

[The Professor]

Head weighing system is basically, one of the common technic used in correcting FHP...btw, it is one aspect of protocol with series of procedures..

My chiropractor did this with me and took a 2nd set of x-rays to see if there was any flexibility in my spine. He used both head weights (I have FHP) and shoulder weights. No change in curvature, not even 1 degree.

But back to the FHP, unless one makes a conscious effort to "correct" the head position, I don't see how 15 or 20 minutes a day with head weights a few times a week will make that much of a difference in posture.

[expatient]

reason

SIJD - the reason for low back pain, scoliosis, lordosis, lumbar/thorax hypermobility, forward head position, bad posture, headaches, leg length inequality, knee problems, achilles problems and so many others... Very common problem and yet so poorly understod!

(SIJD = sacroiliac joint dysfunction/dislocation/syndrome, rotated pelvis, rotated iliac, pelvis misalignment,... A lot of different names to this!)

After years of search I finally found one professional who knew how to cure my back pain: to correct my sijd. Before him I met tens of others who did it wrong or didn't know anything at all! I spent thousands of dollars for doctors, physical therapists, pictures, exams, test,...

My problem was anteriorly rotated left iliac bone (SIJD), but all the doctors were totally lost, or few of them diagnosed something wrong on right side of my back where the pain was... That is wrong side!!

After I got rid of my back pains (and many other problems too connected to sijd) I started to search information about sij dysfunction and to interview patients who have the same problems I did.

According to many research studies almost all people have leg length inequality that causes bad posture, scoliosis and other problems. That is because of misalignments in pelvis -> SIJD. When iliac bone is rotated it causes leg shortening, sacrum to lead forward -> lordosis. That leg length inequality causes palvis misalignment. Those all cause problems to spine all the way from lumbar to cervical spine!

This is a common mistake the professionals do:

physical therapy volume 79 · number 12 · december 1999
http://www.Ptjournal.Org/ptjournal/d...79n12p1134.Cfm

research report
measurement of sacroiliac joint dysfunction: a multicenter intertester reliability study
janet k freburger and daniel l riddle

“for example, a patient with symptoms in the region of the right sij, with a right asis lower than the left asis and a right psis higher than the left psis, would have an anteriorly rotated innomimate on the right. Conversely, a patient with symptoms in the region of the left sij, with a right asis lower than the left asis and a right psis higher than the left psis, would be described as having a posteriorly rotated innominate on the left.“

That last sentence is wrong! If right psis is higher it is dislocated ie. in dysfunction regardless where the pain is! But it must not be measured when patient is standing. I have seen patients who have right psis higher when standing and left psis higher when lying. Because iliac rotation effects to the functional length of a leg, psis's must be palpated while lying.

Here is other similar:
physical therapy . Volume 82 . Number 8 . August 2002
evaluation of the presence of sacroiliac joint region dysfunction
using a combination of tests:
a multicenter intertester
http://www.Udel.Edu/pt/manal/spineco...ab/riddled.Pdf

reliability study
daniel l riddle, janet k freburger, north american orthopaedic rehabilitation research network*

according to table 3:

1. Standing flexion test: my left sij lifted, so it was hypermobile!
This test alone should give enough evidence that it was left si dysfunction!

2. Prone knee flexion test: I had the pain on right side and right leg was longer, so this test gives the wrong diagnosis to me: posteriorly rotated right iliac. Wrong!

3. Supine long sitting test: again I had the pain on right side and right leg was longer, so this test gives the wrong diagnosis to me: posteriorly rotated right iliac. Wrong!

4. Sitting psis test: this is the worst! I had pain on right side and left psis was higher. According to this test I had posteriorly rotated right iliac. Totally wrong result!

And this is why I had wrong diagnosises and bad treatments for many years. It took 10 years to find a professional who knew how to do it wright! All the other PTs and chiros did it wrong like in that paper.

The pain is usually on the other side than the reason. That is where the mistake is made! Left sij dysfunction -> pain on the right side!

This is why the manual treatment is not helping most of the patients... They do it to the wrong side. They try to dislocate the healthy sij!

[Cakedec]

So?

Dear Ex patient:

Where in the United States would we find someone who treats this SI joint disfuntion? The chiropractors here don't know anything about it.

[bon]

Hmmm.....I thought my sijd and leg-length discrepancy were caused by the scoliosis, not the other way around. Wow--ya never know what you might learn here! Thanks for bringing that up! I do have orthotics with a heel lift on the left, but they're a little worn, and I have no medical insurance now. I wonder if I'd do more harm than good if I used them anyway....

[green m&m]

Hmmm.....I thought my sijd and leg-length discrepancy were caused by the scoliosis, not the other way around. Wow--ya never know what you might learn here! Thanks for bringing that up! I do have orthotics with a heel lift on the left, but they're a little worn, and I have no medical insurance now. I wonder if I'd do more harm than good if I used them anyway....

Honestly I don't think you can truly find out for sure which caused which... it could have gone either way..

[expatient]

I am so amazed that western medical system does not recognize this problem at all!!! Most of the doctors have never even heard from it. There might not be such a thing as idiopathic scoliosis...

Richard DonTigny knows where from US you can find someone who knows SIJD and uses his method to treat it. http://www.kalindra.com/vitae.htm

His method is perhaps not the best, but it helps most of the patients.
Here some words from him: http://www.kalindra.com/faq.htm

He is keeping SIJD-forum. You can ask there where is the closest professional: http://forums.delphiforums.com/SIJD/

Some articles I found today about SIJD (anteriorly rotated pelivis/iliac) and what it causes. Last one includes the topic!
And there are many-many other problems SIJD is responsible for!!

In a normal person the spine sits on top of a neutrally positioned sacrum (central portion of the pelvis) and has a slight lordosis (arch forward). When the pelvis is anteriorly rotated the sacrum is tipped forward and the rest of the spine has no choice but to follow suit. Rather than fall over forward, the body compensates for this excessive forward tilting of the lower spine by tilting backward at some point higher up the chain. This creates a large increase in the amount of curvature (lordosis and scoliosis) of the lower back. This deep curvature of the back can result in extreme pain and various problems including muscle spasms, pinched nerves, and possibly damage to the intervertebral discs.
http://www.protonics.com/cr-5-qa-10-low%20back.htm

One side (usually the left) is rotated forward and then the other side is rotated back. This creates the unstable pelvic condition while under weight-bearing stress. As a result, the sacrum is off-center and tipped which initiates a direction for the scoliotic compensation (the curvature) to begin. The bottom line is, not treating the pelvic area puts limits on relieving scoliosis conditions.
http://www.gregspindler.com/treatingscoliosis.html


The left pelvis is anteriorly tipped and forwardly rotated. This directional, rotational influence on the low back and spine to the right, mandates compulsive compensatory movement in one or more areas of the trunk, upper extremities and cervical-cranial-mandibular muscle. The greatest impact is on rib alignment and position, therefore influencing breathing patterns and ability. It is very possible that respiratory dysfunctions, associated for example with asthma or daily, occupational, repetitive, work positions, can also influence pelvic balance and lead to a compensatory pattern of an anteriorly tipped and forwardly rotated pelvis on the left.
http://www.posturalrestoration.com/about/science.html

"Miserable malalignment" syndrome can also include an anteriorly rotated pelvis, which is associated with a compensatory internal rotation of the femur.7,8 Internal femoral rotation produces dynamic valgus knee alignment and alters the motor/muscle activity of the limb by increasing the demand on the vastus lateralis and iliotibial band. These muscle groups, now more anteriorly aligned on the malrotated limb, act as the primary extensors of the knee. This pelvifemoral dysfunction can also be associated with further compensatory alterations up the kinetic chain with an increase in lumbar lordosis, an increased in thoracic kyphosis, cervical extension and a forward head.
http://www.medem.com/search/article_..._typ=NAV_SERCH

[expatient]

Check where these are:
http://www.independenceback.com/causes.htm
http://www.healing.org/only-3.html
They look good...