It is a sensitive subject with many but it is also very misunderstood. Many have blamed old age on this problem yet we are finding this condition in younger people too. The research is now showing that Dowager’s hump or Granny’s hump is a secondary condition resulting from a primary condition called the Anterior Head Syndrome. There are many documented secondary conditions that are caused by Anterior Head Syndrome (AHS), these include Dowager’s hump, neck, arm and hand pain, headaches, numbness in the arm and hands, nerve impingement Syndrome, muscular tension and spasms, Compressed (degenerated) disc, damaged (degenerated) spine, degenerative arthritis and many more. Although most traditional doctors treat these secondary conditions, our focus at Planet Chiropractic is find the underlying cause or what is the primary condition an correct it.
There are many lifestyle factors (physical, emotional and chemical) that cause the development of Anterior Head Syndrome. A physical trauma like a fall, any type of accidents, sitting or standing in the same position for long periods of time… can cause an abnormal position in the spine and over time that develops into the Anterior Head Syndrome. The use of technology is causing many of us to look down all day either at a computer, phone, games, etc. Being in this abnormal position from prolonged periods will worsen the Anterior Head Syndrome. Emotional stress causes people to go into a protective hunched position and unknowing to themselves they are developing AHS. Even Chemical stress from the air you breath to the environment around you can indirectly cause the development of this structural abnormality. By the time a person noticeably has Anterior Head Syndrome the damage is already there and professional intervention from a Structural Corrective Chiropractor is needed to discover the severity of the structural abnormality and how to properly corrective it.
There is lots of research from the top researchers in the field of human anatomy that have discovered the normal alignment of the spine. There are ranges of normal throughout your body. There is a normal range for body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate… and there is also a normal range for your spine. For the spine to be structurally normal it has to be straight from the front and from the side, a person should have a curve in their neck, mid and low back. The neck curve can be observed from the side, the top of your shoulder and the hole in your ear should be aligned. If the person is suffering from the Anterior Head Syndrome in their spine than their ear would be more forward compared to their shoulders. Overtime as the pressure from the Anterior Head Syndrome increases the body starts to develop muscle in the upper back to support the abnormal pressure. Research shows that for every 1 inch your head moves forward from its normal position equals to fifteen pounds of extra pressure on your upper back. The development of this extra muscle overtime, is what many have observed to be a hump on the person’s back and is many times referred to as ‘granny’s hump’. The development of the Anterior Syndrome is primarily a Structural abnormality and not due to the age of the person.
Anterior Head Syndrome is one of the health problems that our office checks everyone for regularly. Our comprehensive structural examinations helps us measure the amount of Anterior Head Syndrome and allows us to to determine if it is correctable.
PLANET CHIROPRACTIC 