POSTURE CRIMES - NODDING

Nodding is to your neck what smoking is to your lungs!

Nodding confuses the neck, jaw, and shoulder muscles, producing habitual tension in the shoulders and compression through the neck. Habitual tension in the shoulders reverses the trapezius proper function of drawing the shoulder blades down and back. Instead the confused trapezius pulls the shoulder blades up, rounding the shoulders, depressing the chest, compressing the skull and neck at a precarious angle with the jaw tensed high and forward.

Tension in the jaw muscles pulls the skull forward compressing the base of the skull (the occiput). Compression at the occiput drives affects the cervical vertebrae leading to pain, numbness, & tingling in the fingers and arms, as well as TMJ, teeth grinding and frequent headaches.

Nodding depresses the collarbones, causing the sterno-cleido-mastoid muscles (big cords of muscle along the sides of the throat) to appear hard or flexed. Depression of the collarbones compresses the upper third of the lungs, increasing fatigue and tendencies for anxiety and depression, and auto-immune dysfunction.

As the head nods the shoulders round and the ribs sag.

Sagging ribs turn the spine into a hammock, rather than lift it like a spring. Sagging ribs drive compression into the low back and hips, causing pain in the lowback, legs, and feet. Nodding bobs the head. Our skull, is the densest portion of the human frame, weighing in at around 15 – 20 pounds, and balanced upon the most delicate portion of our spine the cervical vertebrae.

Nodding causes compression all through the spine.

Nodding is a habit.

Most of us don’t even know when we’re doing it. We can find better ways to express agreement than nodding. Simply listening is one way. Maintaining eye contact is another. Find your own way; but above all quit nodding! From head to toe your entire body will thank you.