When a car goes out of alignment, driving becomes rather rough.  Mechanical parts wear out more quickly and need to be adjusted.  The human body works the same way.  Sometimes being out of alignment can be a real pain in the neck.

When the effects of poor posture promote spinal pain, headaches, mood swings, high blood pressure, and pulse and lung capacity problems, then its time for realignment.

Stockton’s Crawford Chiropractic offers a new idea in correcting the damaging effects of Forward Head Posture (F.H.P.).

In today’s sedentary, forward-facing world—complete with computers, televisions, video games, and heavy backpacks—our bodies have adapted to a forward head posture.

“Our posture is the key to health,” said Dr. Brian Crawford, president of Crawford Chiropractic.  “Why are we so tired all the time?  We have the energy inside us, but our posture is affecting our health and how we feel.”

Ideally, the head should sit directly on the neck and shoulders, like a golf ball sits on a tee.  But the weight of the head is more like a bowling ball than a golf ball.  Holding it forward puts a strain on the neck, shoulders and upper back muscles.  Because the neck and shoulders carry this weight daily, the neck muscles lose blood, become damaged and fatigued.  They strain, cause pain and fibromyalgia.

That pain in the neck can be moderated or eliminated with proper posture, Dr. Crawford said.  And now there’s a new treatment called Posture Pro that helps his patients achieve it.

“Posture Pro takes the actual screen coordinate results from the patient’s posture exam and predicts what the spine compensation might look like,” he said.  “Posture Pro has a database of over 4 million posture combinations.”

How much muscle effort is needed to maintain an average weight head upright?

If a human weighs 10 pounds and the center of the ear sits directly over the center of the shoulder, the load on the spine and its tissue is only 10 pounds.  However, if the head is translated forward, its weight will increase by 10 pounds, for every inch forward.  So for every inch the head is moved forward, the weight of the head is added weight upon the spine, discs, joints and nerves, thereby causing more than just a pain in the neck. 

Dr. Crawford performs a posture exam with assistance from Posture Pro’s analysis system.  Anatomical landmarks are selected bilaterally on the head, torso, hips, shoulders, ankles and knees.  This high-tech posture analysis tool can detect posture deviations.  The screen report also will show the amount of additional cervical forces, plot the balance point, show total deviations in degrees and display other vectors at work on the spine.

In addition to the computerized posture analysis, Dr. Crawford’s patient use a special set of exercises and stretches developed by Dr. John Christman.

The third component of treatment is the Posture Pump.  Lightweight, portable and easy to use, the pump inflates and deflates at second intervals, promoting disc lubrication and joint nutrition.  Patients take this device home with them for use.
           
           
“It works at the cause of neck stiffness, pain and discomfort,” added Dr. Crawford.  “The Posture Pump strengthens and hydrates the discs and joints in the neck and back.”

The time frame to complete this program is between 12 and 18 weeks.  There are no side effects of cumbersome traction devices with this treatment. 

“I feel like I’m on a crusade about wanting patients to know that there is an alternative to surgery and pain medications.” Dr. Crawford said.  “It’s accessible and affordable.”

It also comes highly recommended.  Writing in the July issue of The Chiropractic Journal, neurosurgeon C. Norman Shealy states that millions of individuals who go through life with headache and neck pain often take over-counter drugs that are “minimally effective and carry many complications.”  The Posture Pump appears to him to be “the simplest, safest, and most inexpensive approach I have seen to date for treating chronic neck pain.” 

Posture Pro is also endorsed by the PGA (Professional Golf Association) as a means to help golfers correct alignment issues and improve their game.  It’s another reminder that no matter how you work and play, posture affects performance.

Dr. Crawford, who graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Sunnyvale, California, has been practicing chiropractic medicine for the past 22 years in Stockton.  He said his office sees a whole spectrum of patients, from young to old, with a variety of injuries.

“Many young people today are suffering neck and pain injuries from backpacks, video games, television viewing and computers, “ he said.  “Like most neck and back pain, its origin can be found in our increasingly sedentary habits.”

For information on the Posture Pump and a complimentary scan,
call (209) 474-2252.

Back to Top >