Forward Head Posture and Relief from the Pain It Causes

Forward Head Posture or FHP is a condition where the position of your head moves forward from the center of the shoulders. As the head moves forward, your center of gravity shifts and creates a domino effect of problems. To compensate for the shift in your center of gravity, your upper body will drift backward. To compensate for your upper body shift, your hips tilt forward. All this shifting of the body causes strains, stress and ultimately pain for numerous parts of your body. Forward Head Posture can cause serious health problems if left untreated. At our Baker Chiropractic and Wellness clinics in the Cincinnati, Ohio area, we have been treating Forward Head Posture safely and effectively or nearly 20 years.

The Weight of Your Head Increases Dramatically with FHP

A human heads weighs between 8 and 10 pounds on average. With correct posture, your head does not feel like it weighs much at all because it is perfectly balanced and positioned. When Forward Head Posture begins to develop and your head begins to move forward away from its balanced position, the weight of your head begins to increase. In fact, for every 1 inch your head moves forward, the relative weight of the head over the body doubles due to the effects of gravity. 

Forward Head Posture Causes All Types of Pain and Health Problems

As the head moves forward and shifts your center of gravity, it places a great deal of stress on many parts of your body including, but not limited to, your head, neck, shoulders and back. The stress will manifest into discomfort and pain.  The following lists some common health conditions that can be associated with Forward Head Posture:

• Headaches and Migraines
• Tempero-mandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction
• Neck Pain
• Myofascial Pain Syndrome
• Shoulder Pain
• Upper Back Pain
• Middle Back Pain
• Lower Back Pain
• Sore Chest Muscles
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Poor Sleep or Insomnia
• Chronic “achy” feeling all over
• Fibromyalgia
• Disc degeneration
• Numbness or tingling in the arms and/or hands
• Trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain)



In addition to the above, Forward Head Posture can reduce lung capacity and blood flow as well as impact your gastrointestinal system. Persistent Forward Head Posture can lead to spinal degeneration and a condition called Kyphosis. Three separate studies have linked Kyphosis to early degeneration of the nervous system, organ disease, and even premature death.

It’s extremely important to address and treat Forward Head Posture.

Carrying a Purse, a Back Pack or Spending Considerable Time Driving or Working at a Computer

Remember when your parents or teacher told you not to “slouch” and “sit up straight”.  They weren’t trying to be annoying. They were trying to teach you good posture and prevent Forward Head Posture from developing. We need to be aware of our posture at all times and practice good posture techniques in our daily lives. The following are common activities that can contribute to Forward Head Posture:

• Looking down while typing on a keyword and viewing a computer screen
• Slouching or improperly sitting with shoulders rounded and backed hunched
• Carrying a heavy purse or back pack over one shoulder
• Driving with your head more than 3 inches away from the headrest of the seat

Prevent or Stop Forward Head Posture

It’s vital to your long term health and happiness to address Forward Head Posture. We can properly treat Forward Head Posture if it has developed through safe chiropractic care. We can also provide invaluable instructions and guidance on how to prevent Forward Head Posture from developing in the first place. Please contact us for a consultation via telephone or Skype. We will discuss your specific issues, provide you with guidance and help you either find a qualified physician in your area or arrange a visit to our clinics.

Sciatica Pain Relief

What is Sciatica?

Sciatica is a set of symptoms that refers to pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in your leg or legs. Sciatica is a very common form of low back pain and leg pain. However, sciatica is not the underlying cause of the pain. It is an indicator of a problem somewhere else within your body that is impacting your sciatic nerve. Because sciatica is a symptom, it’s important to seek the care of a health care professional who specializes in diagnosing the root cause of pain and implementing a treatment plan to correct it.

At our Baker Chiropractic and Wellness clinics, we’ve been helping patients identify and eliminate the cause of their sciatica for nearly 20 years. Using our safe and effective chiropractic care, we have developed a respected reputation for providing our patients relief from sciatica and its underlying cause.

Causes of Sciatica

The pain, numbness, tingling or weakness associated with sciatica is caused by pressure or damage to the sciatica nerve. The sciatica nerve is the longest nerve in your body.  It branches out from your spinal cord through your buttocks and extends down the back of both your legs. From there, it divides into smaller nerves.  The sciatic nerve controls your muscles and provides sensations throughout a large portion of your lower back and legs.

The pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve is commonly caused by a subluxation or other type injury. Because sciatica is a sign of something else, a very thorough examination should be performed to pinpoint exactly what is irritating the sciatic nerve.

Symptoms of Sciatica

As outlined above, sciatica is a symptom in itself, not a cause. Sciatica can vary greatly from a mild ache to a very sharp, burning-type pain. The most commonly reported sciatica symptoms include:

1. Pain: Typically, the pain will be felt in your lower back, your buttock, the back of your thigh or your calf.

2. Tingling:  Most of the time, the tingling is felt in your foot or toes.

 3. Numbness or Weakness: This is usually experienced in the areas along the path of the sciatic nerve which includes your lower back, buttocks and legs.

4. Loss of Bowel or Bladder Control: This rarely occurs with sciatica but nevertheless, is a possible symptom.

Why Chiropractic Care Will Help with Sciatica

The practice of chiropractic health care focuses on the health of the body’s central nervous system. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify and treat problems with the nerves of the human body. When your central nervous system is healthy, you will be free from pain and healthy too. The best feature about chiropractic care is that it does not use prescription drugs or surgery to treat health care problems.

Chiropractic care removes subluxations which impact nerves and inhibit the body’s very power and innate ability to heal.

Need Proof We Can Help You with Sciatica?

Just read one of our patient’s story:

“My husband and I are both 25 years old with a 6 month old son. I had severe lower back pain and sciatic nerve problems that seemed to never go away. While I was pregnant, my back got worse. I did not seek chiropractic care during this time, but when my son was 8 weeks old, I couldn’t take the pain anymore. Dr. Baker’s office was recommended to me by family and coworkers. I decided I would try their office because I knew I didn’t want any pain medicine at this young of an age. 

 Dr. Baker sat down with my husband, son, and me taking the time to explain the problems going on with my back. During the consultation, I was given different papers talking about chiropractic care and what they can do. At this point in time, my son had been on an antibiotic for his ear infection for about 5 days (with little to no help for his fussiness/pain). I noticed on the papers I was handed that babies can be adjusted for ear infections… so I asked about that as well. Dr. Baker explained about the adjustments he could do for our little man and how it’s never good to get on the “cycle of antibiotics”. That night was Zeke’s first adjustment. The next day, he stopped tugging at his ears. About a week later (after seeing what Doc can do), my husband was treated for his stiffness/soreness in his back and neck.

Now, we are on maintenance care and feeling great. I don’t have the pain I used to have, my husband’s stiffness went away, and my son hasn’t had an ear infection since (and sleeps better after being adjusted—great for us!). I can’t imagine where we would be right now without the Baker Chiropractic staff. I’m sure Zeke would have had at least one set of tubes in his ears (multiple surgeries during his 6 months of life) and we would have been sore, in pain and sleep deprived at 25. We’re so glad we came and got treated when we did. Thank you so much Baker staff!” – The Locke Family

Find a Resolution for Your Sciatica

If you would like help with Sciatica,  Contact Us  for a consultation via telephone or Skype. We will discuss your specific issues, provide you with guidance and help you either find a qualified physician in your area or arrange a visit to our clinics.

For more information about us, please visit our website at www.doctorspaulandpatrick.com.

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Pain Relief (TMJ)

Temporomandibular Joint Disorder or TMJ is a condition causing inflammation of the Temporomandibular Joint. The Temporomandibular Joint connects the mandible (jaw bone) to your skull. TMJ can be a very painful condition and it can make it difficult to move your jaw. TMJ can impact your ability to speak, sing, eat, chew, swallow, smile, make facial expressions, and even breathe. Because of the wide variety of symptoms (listed below) associated with TMJ, Temporomandibular Joint Disorder can be easily misdiagnosed and is often misunderstood by healthcare professionals.

We’ve been helping patients in our Baker Chiropractic and Wellness clinics with TMJ for nearly 20 years. We know what to look for and how to fix it.

TMJ Symptoms

Reports show over 35 million people in the United States currently suffer from TMJ. While this disorder affects both men and women, statistics reflect TMJ to be more common in women. TMJ symptoms may include the following:

• Dull, aching pain in your face
• Headache or Migraine Pain
• Earache Pain
• Jaw Pain
• Hearing Loss
• Difficulty or discomfort biting and chewing food
• Popping or clicking sound when opening your mouth
• Neck and/or Shoulder Pain

TMJ Solutions That DO NOT Include Expensive Drugs, Surgery or Dental Work

Over the last 20 years, we have heard story after story from our patients on how they sought answers and treatment for TMJ from a diverse group of healthcare professionals including: Dentists, Neurologists; Endocrinologists; Rheumatologists, Pain Specialists and; Ear, Nose and Throat Specialists. When those options failed to resolve their pain and discomfort, they became frustrated and turned to us for help. We have a long history of success treating TMJ that does not involve expensive drugs, surgery or dental work.

If you would like help with TMJ,  Contact Us  for a consultation via telephone or Skype. We will discuss your specific issues, provide you with guidance and help you either find a qualified physician in your area or arrange a visit to our clinics.

For more information about us, please visit our website at www.doctorspaulandpatrick.com.

Headache and Migraine Pain

Nearly everyone will suffer an occasional headache, it’s almost unavoidable.  You should not tolerate suffering from intense or frequent headaches. At our Baker Chiropractic and Wellness clinics, we’ve been diagnosing the root cause of headaches and providing patients with safe and effective treatments to ease and eliminate headache pain for nearly 20 years. We can help you stop your headache or migraine pain too!

What Type of Headache Do You Suffer From?

It’s important to understand just which type of headache pain you are experiencing. Here are some of the most typical types of headaches:

Common Headache

This is a very general type of headache and like the name, the most common. A Common Headache is a dull, throbbing pain in any area of your head. This type of headache can vary in intensity form mild pain to very severe pain.

Migraine

A Migraine Headache is a specific type of headache that is severe and persistent. Migraines can be so severe that they greatly impact your ability to function. Migraines are more common in women than in men. Symptoms of a migraine vary widely. They may include dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, numbness, difficulty concentrating, confusion and sudden fatigue. Migraines can last several hours or days.

Chronic Headache

Chronic Headaches are head pains that occur daily or almost daily. If a headache occurs more than 2 or 3 times per week, it is considered a chronic headache.

Tension Headache

Tension headaches are related to muscle contractions and usually vary in severity from mild to moderate. People who suffer from tension headaches usually describe their pain as constant pressure almost like their head was being squeezed in a vise. Tension headaches account for nearly 90% of all headaches.

Cluster Headache

Cluster Headaches are episodes of extreme headache pain that occur periodically. Someone suffering from cluster headaches will experience very painful headache pain, then the pain will go away only to return again later. The duration of the headache pain attack may range from as little as 15 minutes to well over three or four hours. Cluster headaches are more common in men than women.

Sinus Headaches or Sinus Infection Headaches

A Sinus Headache is caused by mucus build-up as a result of inflammation and pressure within the sinuses during a sinus infection. The location of the pain can vary. For example, if the frontal sinuses are affected, there will be pain in the front of the head just above the eyebrows. If the ethmoid sinuses are affected, pain will be felt between the eyes. When the maxillary sinuses are affected, pain will be experienced in the cheekbone areas. The pain from Sinus Headaches is usually more of a dull pain versus a sharp rapid pain.

Medication Headaches

Medication Headaches are caused by the use or overuse of medications, prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. The symptoms of a medication can vary greatly. A Medication Headache can feel as bad as a migraine or more like a tension headache.

Toxic Headaches

Toxic Headaches are caused by exposure to some type of toxin. These types of headaches can be the result of toxic chemicals, alcohol, insecticides, pesticides, household cleaners or a build-up of toxins within the body typically due to an organ not functioning properly.

A Patient’s Story and Escape From Daily Headaches

“I started coming to Dr. Baker due to my daily headaches that I had been having for years. 

My head felt heavy and I was in constant pain. I was taking pain killers and sleeping pills prescribed by my medical doctor. I was also taking a minimum 6-8 aspirins a day but nothing was helping. 

Today, I am headache free. I do not have to take aspirin or any other pain relievers anymore. I am sleeping better throughout the night and don’t wake up with headaches. 

I feel like a new person.” – C. Berter

Free yourself from the grips of headaches or migraines by Contacting Us today for a consultation via telephone or Skype. We will discuss your specific issues, provide you with guidance and help you either find a qualified physician in your area or arrange a visit to our Baker Chiropractic and Wellness clinics. We can help you just like we have helped so many others.

For more information about us, please visit our website at www.doctorspaulandpatrick.com.