Q I hear that forward head posture and stress cause tension headaches. What is the mechanism behind this?
A Forward head posture increases the load on the cervical spine by up to three times or more, causing muscle fatigue, while stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and reflexively contracts the neck and shoulder muscles. When these two factors overlap, headaches become far more frequent.
Detailed Answer
In a normal neck posture, the head weighs about 5 kg, but tilting the head forward by just 15 degrees places about 12 kg of load on the cervical spine, and tilting it 45 degrees places about 22 kg. This chronic overload forms trigger points in the pericranial muscles, leading to tension-type headache. Stress releases cortisol and adrenaline, keeping the cervical muscles in a continuous state of contraction.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
In Korean medicine, overwork and stress create Liver Qi stagnation (gan-gi-ul-gyeol), which intensifies neck stiffness. Office workers and students in the Dong-gu and Dongincheon areas who spend long hours at a desk are especially vulnerable. At Dongjedang, we correct cervical alignment with Chuna manual therapy and combine it with herbal medicine that relieves Liver Qi, addressing the problem at its root.
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