Bad posture as one of the top causes for headaches and migraines

Headaches can happen due to many reasons but bad posture is one of the most common triggers when it comes to headaches or migraines.  One of the most common positions to cause it is rounded shoulder/head forward position.  

Rounded shoulder/head forward posture is caused mostly due to the fact that a lot of us as spending time with our hands stretched out in front of us while working with a computer or looking at our phones.  This can cause not only neck pain but also migraines, shoulder pain, upper back pain.  What happens in this posture is that your upper trapezius, levator scapula, upper cervical neck extensors, sub occipital muscles, sternocleidomastoid, pectorals major and minor, and scalenes are all over-active or as we call “shortened”.  This causes tension in the muscle.  On the other hand, your rhomboids, serratus anterior, middle and lower trapezius and deep neck flexors are lengthened, which means under-active or weakened.  This muscle imbalance between the agonist and antagonist muscles causes a lot of issues.

In conditions like this, it is imperative to see your practitioner such as an acupuncturist who specializes in orthopedic conditions, chiropractor, or fascial release massage therapist.  For some at home self-care, practice exercises such as chin tucks, rolling shoulders back, doorway pectoral stretches.