Driving Posture Awareness

How Poor Driving Posture Can Cause Neck,

Shoulder & Mid-Back Pain

Spending long periods driving with your head pushed forward, shoulders rounded and upper back curved eventually places extra strain on these associated muscles and joints. A forward head position means that the muscles at the back of the neck and upper back have to work much harder to support its weight. This increased load leads to muscle fatigue, tightness and discomfort in the neck and lengthening of the muscles between the shoulder blades.


Rounded shoulders also change how the shoulder blades move, placing more stress on the muscles and tendons around the shoulders which can contribute to shoulder pain and reduced related joint mobility. At the same time, a curved upper back (increased thoracic kyphosis) becomes stiff and less mobile which forces the neck and shoulders to compensate, increasing the risk of pain across the mid-back and upper spine.


Research has consistently linked forward head posture and rounded shoulders with higher rates of neck, shoulder and upper back pain, as well as altered muscle activity and reduced endurance in postural muscles. Improving posture, taking breaks from prolonged driving, strengthening postural muscles and maintaining upper back mobility can all help reduce discomfort and prevent long-term issues.


Poor Driving Posture & Whiplash Risk


The significance of poor driving posture, such as a forward head position, rounded shoulders and a slouched upper back, can increase the risk of whiplash injury during road traffic accidents. When the head sits forward in front of the body, the neck is already placed under a greater strain and thus unable to able absorb sudden forces safely.


During a collision, this misalignment leads to greater neck movement and higher stress on cervical muscles, ligaments and joints which is the main cause of whiplash injuries as a curved upper back reduces the spine’s ability to support the neck and increase the likelihood of excessive motion during impact.

Research using crash simulations have shown that poor posture and inadequate head support result in higher forces throughout the neck and more severe whiplash-type movements.


The video below highlights how maintaining an upright posture with proper headrest support can help reduce injury risk.


References

  1. Chu, E.C.P., Lo, F.S., Bhaumik, A. (2020) Plausible Impact of Forward Head Posture on Upper Cervical Spine Stability, Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 9, pp.2517–2520.
  2. Joshi, S., Balthillaya, G., Raghava Neelapala, Y. V. (2019) Thoracic Posture and Mobility in Mechanical Neck Pain Population: a Review of the Literature., Asian Spine Journal, 13 (5), pp.849–860.
  3. Kumar, S., Narayan, Y., Amell, T. (2003) An Electromyographic Study of Low-Velocity Rear-End Impacts, Spine, 28(10), pp.1048–1056.
  4. Mahmoud, N.F., Hassan, K.A., Abdelmajeed, S.F., Moustafa, I.M.,Silva, A.G. (2019) The Relationship Between Forward Head Posture and Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 12 (4), pp.562–577.
  5. Ono, K., Kaneoka, K., Wittek, A., Kajzer, J. (1997) Cervical injury mechanism based on the analysis of human cervical vertebral motion and head-neck kinematics during low speed rear impacts. IRCOBI Conference Proceedings, pp.349–365.
  6. Panjabi, M.M., Pearson, A.M., Ito, S., Ivancic, P.C., Wang, J.L., Satoh, S. (2004) Mechanism of Whiplash Injury. Clinical Biomechanics, 19 (2), pp.113–121.
  7. Siegmund, G.P., King, D.J., Lawrence, J.M. (2003) Head/Neck Kinematic Response of Human Subjects in Low-Speed Rear-End Collisions. Journal of Biomechanics, 36(8), pp.1169–1177.
  8. Thigpen, C.A., Padua, D.A., Michener, L.A., Guskiewicz, K., Giuliani, C., Keener, J.D., Stergiou, N. (2010) Head and Shoulder Posture Affect Scapular Mechanics and Muscle Activity in Overhead Tasks, Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 20 (4), pp.701–709.