Why does my head stick out forward and how do I fix it?
Yes, forward head posture can be corrected, and it is worth doing before it turns into headaches and numbness. The head sitting in front of the shoulders is a pattern years of screens build, and at Foudy Chiropractic in Mission Viejo one show-and-tell visit measures exactly how far forward your head sits and what it is costing the rest of you, then we build the plan to bring it back.
One unhurried visit tells you what is going on and whether Dr. Foudy can help. Thursday is afternoons only, 3:00 to 6:00 pm.
Cervical traction setup on the treatment table at Foudy Chiropractic
In your own words
Does one of these sound like you?
Most patients arrive describing how they feel, not naming a diagnosis. If one of these is yours, you are in the right place. One visit tells you where you stand.
My wife keeps telling me my head sticks out and my shoulders are rolledI see it in photos and I am not happy about itMy upper traps are tight all the timeI get a knot between my shoulder bladesMy headaches get worse the longer the day goes
What is actually going on
What is actually going on, in plain terms.
Forward head carriage is what years of screens and sitting do to the body. The head is meant to balance right on top of the shoulders, so the spine carries it with almost no effort. When it drifts forward, the math turns against you fast: for every inch the head moves forward of the shoulders, the neck carries roughly ten extra pounds of load. So the upper traps stay tight holding the head up, the muscles between the shoulder blades knot up, and the upper neck gets overloaded, which is where the headaches come from. It is not a thing you can rub out, because the load comes back the moment you sit down at the screen. The fix is two parts: get the stuck joints moving again with the adjustment, and retrain the muscles to carry the head back over the shoulders with corrective exercise. One without the other does not hold.
Cervical traction setup on the treatment table at Foudy Chiropractic
Can you help me, what is it, how long, and how much.
These are the four questions I hear on every first call, so here they are answered in order. The honest version of each, with real numbers, not a sales pitch.
Can you help me?
Yes, here is the honest answer.
Yes, and the earlier the better. Forward head posture is squarely in my wheelhouse, and it responds well to the two-part approach, the adjustment plus corrective exercise. There is no ER exception here, this is a wear-and-load pattern, not an emergency, though I screen for anything else the posture might be masking.
What is it?
What is actually going on.
It is the head carried in front of the shoulder line, overloading the neck and the upper back. The postural exam on dual scales, the photographic measurement of head position, and the range-of-motion study tell us exactly how far forward it sits and what it is straining. I show you the measurement.
How long?
How long it usually takes.
Posture correction is a few-month project, not a quick fix. The adjustments restore the mobility and the corrective exercise locks in the new position, and it has to stay worked because the screen life keeps pulling the head forward. Your exact plan is set after your exam.
How much?
What it costs, plainly.
The show-and-tell consultation that measures it is $90 and about 75 minutes. A standard adjustment visit is $90, and the corrective exercise in the stretch lab with Melanie is part of the plan. We go over the exact program in person.
Who this helps, and who it does not
Are you a candidate for care here?
You are a fit if your posture has drifted forward and you want to correct it, which is most people who notice it in photos. When I look further: if the posture is masking something else, like a structural scoliosis, a prior injury, or a nerve issue running down the arm, the exam catches it and we fold it into the plan or refer as needed. If what I find is not mine to fix, I will tell you straight and send you to the right person.
Dr. Foudy reviewing a patient's own X-rays before recommending a plan.
Straight talk
One visit tells you what is going on, and I will tell you straight.
The show-and-tell consultation is the full picture in one visit: the postural scales, the surface EMG (an EKG of your nervous system), the digital X-rays, and the hands-on exam, all in about 75 minutes. You will see your own scan and your own films, and you will leave with a straight answer about your forward head posture.
If this is mine to fix, I will tell you the plan. If it is not, I will tell you that too, and point you to what actually helps. I would rather send you down the street than put you on a plan that was never going to help your case. The first visit is $90 and runs about 75 minutes.
Dr. Foudy reviewing a computerized nervous-system scan with a patient, like an EKG of the nervous system.
Good questions, asked often
Questions patients ask about forward head posture
Yes, but it is not magic. The bones need to come unstuck (the adjustment) and the muscles need to be retrained (corrective exercise). One without the other does not hold.
Different product. Our stretch lab is led by Melanie L. Foudy, M.S., a corrective exercise specialist with two master's degrees and more than thirty years of experience. She trains physical therapists. The hands-on work is paired with an in-house rehab plan.
Before it hurts. Most patients wait until they have headaches or numbness. The earlier the posture is corrected, the easier the program.
No. The braces-and-retainer model: a corrective phase to fix it, then a maintenance cadence (often once a month or once a quarter) to keep it.
The show-and-tell consultation in Mission Viejo includes the exam, the surface EMG, and the X-rays, about $90 and 75 minutes. You will see your own scan and your own films, and you will leave with a straight answer. Patients come to us from Lake Forest, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, and across Mission Viejo. Call Call (949) 365-0403 and ask for Carmen.
