Body & Balance Studio
Posture scan

Forward Head Posture

Also known as: forward head, anterior head carriage, “tech neck”.

What it is

Forward head posture is when the ear is carried anterior to the shoulder line, so the head is held in front of the torso rather than balanced over it. Each inch of forward translation multiplies the load the neck extensors must hold, which is why it so often tracks with neck tension and a rounded upper back.

How to spot it

From a side-on photo, the ear (tragus) lines up clearly forward of the point of the shoulder. Our scan measures this as the horizontal offset of the ear from the shoulder, scaled to torso height.

Muscles involved

Muscles involved in Forward Head Posture, front view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Front (anterior) view
Muscles involved in Forward Head Posture, back view — typically tight muscles in coral, typically weak in teal
Back (posterior) view

Coral = typically tight, teal = typically weak. Anatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Typically tight: suboccipitals, upper trapezius, levator scapulae, sternocleidomastoid

Typically weak: deep cervical flexors, lower trapezius

How to correct it

  • Mobilize the suboccipitals and thoracic spine into extension.
  • Activate the deep neck flexors with chin tucks (nod, don’t jut).
  • Strengthen the lower trapezius to support the shoulder girdle.
  • Address a rounded/kyphotic upper back at the same time — they reinforce each other.
Posterior Neck Stretch (Chin Tuck, Supine)stretch · neckWall-Standing Postural Exerciseactivate · thoracicWall-Sitting Postural Exerciseactivate · thoracicShoulder Adductor / Lat Stretch (Supine Overhead Reach)stretch · shoulderPectoralis Minor Stretch (Supine Assisted)stretch · shoulderIsometric Cervical Retractionactivate · neckPIR for the Upper Trapeziusstretch · neckPIR for the Levator Scapulaestretch · neckNeck Extensor Stretch (Seated/Supine Flatten Neck)stretch · neckCraniocervical Flexion (Deep Neck Flexor Activation)activate · neckCorrected Standing Posture & Balance Progression (SMT Static Phase)activate · coreChin Tuck (Head & Neck Retraction)activate · neck
suboccipitalsupper trapeziuslevator scapulaesternocleidomastoiddeep cervical flexorslower trapezius

Educational wellness content — not a diagnosis. See a clinician for pain or concerns. Run a posture scan to check your own alignment.