blog

Hunchback Or Anterior Head Syndrome?

Garrett Chow

• 2 min read
Hunchback Or Anterior Head Syndrome?
Photo by Larm Rmah / Unsplash

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame is a popular Disney movie. One of the characters has a large hump on his upper back. The technical term for this is hyper-kyphosis or Dowager’s Hump. Structural Chiropractors call this structural abnormality, Anterior Head Syndrome. A hunchback occurs when there is a shift of the head and neck forward to the center of the chest. Shoulders tend to slump as well. This abnormal hump can cause decreases in mood and confidence. Link here.

What Causes A Hunchback Or Anterior Head Syndrome?

  • Anything that causes the head to tilt downward for long periods
  • Using a smartphone or tablet
  • Desk jobs
  • Reading documents or books
  • Craning the head forward to watch TV

How Do I know If I Have Anterior Head Syndrome?

  • An MRI or neck x-rays are the best for diagnoses and correction. Yes, it can be fixed.
  • Take a picture. Use a smart phone to take a picture of the side view of the shoulders and head.

Unfortunately, AHS is common. It effects all age groups. Not everyone will look like the Disney movie character.  Rather, varying degrees or ranges exist. No different than normal body temperature or blood pressure, you have normal spinal alignment. The presence of AHS confirms a spinal segmental shift away from normal. AHS causes dysfunction. What types of dysfunction?

Nerve Impingement

As the heading suggests, nerves, the electric wiring of the body, can become obstructed by AHS. Nerve impingement will affect many areas of body because nerves control organs, blood vessels, and muscles.  Migraines and headaches occur when abnormal amounts of blood enter vessels surrounding the head and neck. Blood flow is not regulated properly because nerve impingement by AHS, a shift of the neck spinal segments and head. Without proper communication to blood vessels, blood will flow without control.

Muscle Spasm Or Tension

Muscle attach to your spine no different than shelves to the structural supports of a house. Thus, if the foundation of the body shifts, muscles will be in dysfunction. Hold a heavy object and move that object further away from the center of your body. Muscle increase in tension, right? This is what AHS is doing to all of your muscles.

More information about Structural Chiropractic in Birmingham, Alabama, click here.
For more health news, click here.