News You Can Use - Issue 18 - Are You Walking Around with a 40 Pound Head?

STEVE Botuchis LMT, EFT Certified -1, ACMOS Certified Bio-Energeticain KST Practitioner

Are You Walking Around with a 40 Pound Head? The Damaging Effects of Forward Head Posture     Every inch of Forward Head Posture increases the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds. (fig 1)     It’s not uncommon to have clients walk into my office sporting a head that weighs the equivalent of 40lbs. because their head has moved three inches forward of their shoulders. Each inch forward adds about 10 lbs of pressure.  Since the average head weighs about 10 lbs it is equivalent to having 40lbs of pressure to the spine. The effect of posture on health is becoming more evident. “Spinal pain, headache, mood, blood pressure, pulse and lung capacity are among the functions most easily influenced by posture. Forward Head Posture Symptoms   A head in forward posture in addition to adding 30 lbs. of weight to the spine  can also pull the entire cervical spine out of alignment. TMJ symptoms tension and migraine headaches The entire gastrointestinal system (particularly the large intestine) may become agitated resulting in sluggish bowel function and evacuation. knots in your back neck muscles Most attempts to correct posture are directed toward the spine, shoulders and pelvis. All are important, but, head position takes precedence over all others. The body follows the head. Therefore, the entire body is best aligned by first restoring proper functional alignment to the head.     What is Myoskeletal Alignment Techniques (MAT) and how can it help? (MAT) is a system of bodywork developed by Erik Dalton to re-align head, neck, shoulders and spine so proper posture is more easily  maintained and a majority of pain problems are eliminated How to Detect Forward Head Posture Have someone look at you from the side.  Look up at the ceiling, down at the floor and straight ahead. Then have the person draw an imaginary line up through the shoulder. The line should extend up through the hole of the ear. Ideally the head should sit on top of the shoulders like a golf  ball sits on a tee. Remember for every inch your head is forward past that imaginary line you are adding approximately 10 lbs. of weight to your spine.   Causes of Forward Head Posture Computer Ergonomics Positioning computer screens too low, coupled with the repetitive motion of moving the head forward to read the screen is a primary factor. Video games/TV Most kids use poor posture when playing video games and watching TV. Repetitively sitting in one position for long periods of time causing the body to adapt to bad posture. Backpacks Children are now using backpacks to carry school books weighing up to an alarming 30-40 lbs! This forces the head forward to counter balance the weight resulting in abnormal stress to the discs, joints and nerves of the neck, shoulders and lower back. Solution computer ergonomics For office use and video game play, place your computer monitor height so the top third of the screen is even with your eyes and the screen is 18” - 24” from your face. Support the lower back. If children sit on the floor looking upward, have them use a floor pillow armchair and sit up straight. Exercise Every 20-30 minutes, sit up straight and pull the neck and head back over the shoulders. Hold for a count of 3 and do 15-20 reps. Alternatively, stand against a wall with a small pillow at your mid-back, move your head back to touch the wall, hold for a count of 3 and do 20-25 reps. Backpacks - maximum backpack weight should be 15% of the child’s weight. Never wear backpacks over one shoulder. Always use a waist belt, and if available, a chest belt to neutralize the load Last but not least.  Get a massage !! so your therapist can stretch and release muscles that are too tight and strengthen weak muscles that are contributing to the pattern of your Forward Head Posture. ____________________________________________ EFT  (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a wonderful self help tool that can help clients deal with pain and a variety of emotional issues. Below I have provided an easy to use introduction.  Please read, explore, and call if you have any questions.   What is EFT? EFT is a powerful self-help method based on research showing that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. Once the distress is reduced or removed, the body can often rebalance itself, and accelerate healing. Here's how you can experience this for yourself: Try EFT yourself by downloading a free starter package which includes starter manual @ www.emofree.com,  It gives you all the basics and allows you to test drive EFT on your own issues (although at a beginner's level). If you like what you see and want to learn more or try a session give me a call. Caveat: For people who are emotionally or physically frail, qualified health professionals should be consulted before using any health procedure, including EFT. These are written by clients, therapists and physicians and allow you to see EFTs possibilities through the eyes of both newcomers and professionals. Note the wide variety of successes. This is why you are encouraged to, "Try it on everything" Five Benefits of Massage Five great reasons to get a massage for yourself or give a gift to the one in your life you would like to thank. Improve range of motion Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow Realign body structures Strengthen and tone weak muscles Prevention of pain and poor posture patterns of dysfunction created by muscle imbalance The Perfect Gift One Hour Massage $70 Ninety minute massage $95 Certificate is valid for one year from date of purchase Click here to purchase to your gift certificate (click the services button and choose your Gift Certificate).   Did You Know? The best ways to clean fruits and vegetables is simply to run cold water over them for a few minutes. Other good ways include adding a tablespoon of baking soda to the water and soaking the fruits and vegetables for a few minutes or spraying with vinegar and water with a solution that is three parts water to one part vinegar. By age 80, men and women shrink an average of 2 and 3 inches respectively. fewer than 75 % of patients prescribed blood pressure drugs are still taking them after 6 months primarily due to side effects. Beet juice reduces blood pressure and improves aerobic fitness in athletes. Areas with more magnesium in the water have lower rates of hip fractures. ____________________________________ Refer to the Tapping Chart below to tap on the correct acupuncture points. Just use two fingers and tap lightly on each point for five to seven seconds Learn more about EFT at www.stevebotuchis.com/eft Watch and Learn More about EFT.  Amazing Universal Healing Aid for both physical and emotional well-being.