A possible cause of headaches and TMJ (temporomandibular joint) pain is poor posture. Proper postural alignment involves having the ears, shoulders, hips and ankles all being aligned. The average head weighs 10-15 lbs, similar to a pail of water. If the head is sitting in front of the shoulders, the muscles that balance the head on the spine, have to work much harder to hold up the head. This increase in workload for the muscles can lead to pain and dysfunction to vertebral and temporomandibular joints. Think of holding a pail of water at your side, and then holding it away from the body, much more work. If you are having headaches or TMJ dysfunction, consider analyzing your posture, you may find a couple of simple corrections that can ease your pain.

Andrew Neufeld BMR (PT) Physiotherapist