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In this episode, Dr. Jacob Henricksen from Crystal Grove Chiropractic tackles one of the most pressing health issues of our digital age: posture.
With screen time at an all-time high, our bodies are paying a steep price. Dr. Henricksen shares insights from his daily practice about how dramatically our world has changed in just the last decade and what that means for your spine and overall health.
Whether you work from home, spend hours on your phone, or sit at a desk all day, this episode offers valuable perspective on why posture matters more now than ever before.
Hey there, this is Doctor Jacob Henricksen from Crystal Grove Chiropractic here in Lutz, Florida. Thanks for tuning in today.
Let’s talk about something I see every single day in my practice — and honestly, something that’s probably affecting you right now as you listen to this. It’s posture. And I know, I know… you’ve heard about posture before. But here’s the thing — the world has changed dramatically in just the last decade or so, and our bodies are paying the price.
Think about this for a second. How many hours today have you already spent looking at a screen? Your phone during breakfast. Your computer at work. Your tablet on the couch. Your phone again before bed. We’re talking six, eight, sometimes ten or more hours a day with our heads tilted forward and our shoulders rounded.
Now, here’s what’s happening inside your body when you do that. For every inch your head moves forward from its natural position, it adds about ten pounds of extra force on your neck and upper back. So if your head is just three inches forward — which is pretty common when you’re looking at your phone — that’s an extra thirty pounds of pressure. Imagine carrying around a thirty-pound weight on your shoulders all day long. That’s what your neck muscles are dealing with.
And your body doesn’t just accept this quietly. Oh no. It starts compensating. Your upper back rounds more. Your chest muscles get tight. Your shoulder blades wing out. Your lower back tries to adjust by changing its curve. It’s like a chain reaction that goes all the way down your spine.
You know what I hear a lot? People say, “Doctor Henricksen, I don’t understand why my neck hurts. I’m not doing anything different.” But that’s exactly the problem — you’re doing the same forward-head posture thing for hours and hours every single day. Your body is designed for movement and variety, not static positions.
So what can you actually do about this? Let me give you three simple things you can start today.
First — and this is huge — bring your screens up to eye level. If you’re on your laptop, prop it up on some books. If you’re on your phone, hold it higher instead of looking down into your lap. Your eyes can look down, but your head should stay neutral.
Second thing — set a timer. Every thirty minutes, take a twenty-second break. Roll your shoulders back. Tuck your chin gently and lengthen the back of your neck. Do some shoulder blade squeezes. Just interrupt that forward posture pattern.
Third — strengthen the muscles that fight against that forward collapse. The muscles between your shoulder blades, your deep neck flexors, your lower traps — these are the posture heroes that get weak when we’re constantly hunched forward.
Now here’s what’s interesting. A lot of people think posture is just about standing up straight and looking better. And sure, that’s a nice bonus. But the real issue is how poor posture affects your entire nervous system, your breathing, even your energy levels and mood. When your spine is compressed and misaligned for hours every day, it creates stress on the nerves that exit between those vertebrae.
At Crystal Grove Chiropractic, we see this constantly. Someone comes in with headaches, or neck pain, or that burning sensation between their shoulder blades — and when we evaluate their posture and spine alignment, boom, there’s the problem. The good news? This is very treatable. Chiropractic adjustments help restore proper alignment and movement to those stuck joints. We combine that with specific exercises and ergonomic advice tailored to your actual work setup and daily habits.
You don’t have to live with that nagging discomfort. You really don’t.
If you’re dealing with neck pain, headaches, or that tight, achy feeling in your upper back — especially if you work at a computer or spend a lot of time on your phone — come get evaluated. Let’s figure out what’s actually going on with your spine and create a plan to fix it.
We’re right here in Lutz, and we’d love to help you feel better and move better. You can find us at Crystal Grove Chiropractic or just give us a call.
Thanks so much for listening today. Take care of that posture, and I’ll talk to you next time.
