The x-ray on the left is a photo I’ve referenced before demonstrating a “near perfect” cervical spine. It’s great for comparison purposes. Notice how the two red dots are lined up above one another; this is normal.

The x-ray on the right belongs to a female patient who came to me with one simple question: “Why does my neck hurt?” Now there are lots of reasons why a person can experience neck pain… Stress, muscle strain, and arthritis are frequent culprits that are often managed with over-the-counter pain relievers.

In this patient’s case, however, pain meds aren’t going to do much good. How lined up are her red dots? She has the second most severe case of Forward Head Posture that I have ever seen (here’s the first). Upon measurement, her head is displaced two full inches in front of her body.

The scariest part about it is that you can’t really tell how extreme it is by looking at her.

Finding the cause of your health problem is important. Now that we know exactly what’s causing this patient’s pain, we can work to improve the structural damage.

How about you, though… Who’s working to find the cause of your ailment?