By Fran Kistner, Ira Fiebert, Kathryn Roach

School of Physical Therapy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Worcester, MA, USA.

Objective:   This study examined the effects of various backpack loads on elementary schoolchildren’s posture and postural compensations as demonstrated by a change in forward head position.

Subjects:   A convenience sample of 11 schoolchildren, aged 8-11 years participated.

Methods:   Sagittal digital photographs were taken of each subject standing without a backpack, and then with the loaded backpack before and after walking 6 minutes (6MWT) at free walking speed. This was repeated over three consecutive weeks using backpacks containing randomly assigned weights of 10%, 15%, or 20% body weight of each respective subject. The craniovertebral angle (CVA) was measured using digitizing software, recorded and analyzed.

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Have you dropped by the Forward Head Posture Page lately? There have been several new articles added recently.

According to Kapandji (Physiology of the Joints, Volume III), for every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned. That’s because because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from crashing onto your chest. This abnormal positioning also forces the suboccipital muscles (the ones that raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 suboccipital nerves.

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Our spine is a “structural” unit. Loss of structural integrity and/or normal function of the spine is the basis for the evolution of the vertebral subluxation. Abnormal stresses occur in the facets, discs and supporting tissues when normal motion of the spine is impaired. Chiropractic analysis is aimed at locating the specific segments which are subluxated (lost their normal function), as well as providing the means to “free” those segments (with the spinal adjustment).

You can review more references on this topic at the
Spinal Alignment Page.

Another relevant page includes the
Forward Head Posture Page