Here’s a closer look at what FHP does to your upper body:
Thoracic Spine:
Increased Thoracic Kyphosis: FHP is strongly associated with increased thoracic kyphosis. (Excessive curvature / rounding of the upper back).
This leads to a “slouched” posture and thoracic dysfunction. (Singla & Veqar, 2017; Sepehri et al., 2024; Kang et al., 2021).
Reduced Mobility and Breathing Ability: FHP restricts thoracic mobility, impairs ribcage movement, and decreases respiratory (breathing) efficiency.
This is due to altered muscle attachments and increased kyphosis (Triangto et al., 2020; Kang et al., 2021).
This means you can no longer extend your T-spine, so that you can put your arm overhead and lockout your Press.
As a result, you compensate for your lack of movement somewhere else – usually by arching your lower back.
You also lose your ability to create abdominal pressure and breathe behind the shield.
And as a result, you increase the shear forces on the discs in your lower back, exposing them to injury.
Postural Chain Reaction: Changes in head position can induce compensatory changes throughout the spinal curves – straightening or rounding them more than they should be.
This affects your overall posture and spinal health. (Singla & Veqar, 2017; Sepehri et al., 2024; Beaudette et al., 2020).
Shoulder:
Altered Scapular Mechanics: FHP and rounded shoulders disrupt scapular kinematics (shoulder movement).
FHP increases internal rotation, anterior tilting, and reduces upward rotation during arm elevation.
This leads to abnormal muscle activation – higher upper/lower trapezius activity and reduced serratus anterior activity.
This predisposes the shoulder to pain and impingement. (Weon et al., 2010; Çobanoğlu et al., 2024; El-Azeim et al., 2022; Lee, 2022; Thigpen et al., 2010).
This is why many guys have a hard time getting their arms straight over their heads while pressing or finishing their Snatch correctly.
It also explains why they have chronically tight necks, traps, and upper backs and may even end up tearing their rotator cuffs as they get into their 50s and 60s.
Muscle Imbalance and Weakness: FHP weakens your deep neck flexors and scapular stabilizers.
At the same time, it shortens and overactivates your upper trapezius and pectoralis (chest) muscles.
All of which contributes to shoulder dysfunction and pain. (Çobanoğlu et al., 2024; El-Azeim et al., 2022; Sepehri et al., 2024).
Increased Prevalence in Shoulder Disorders: FHP is highly prevalent in patients with shoulder conditions like frozen shoulder.
It is considered a risk factor for subacromial impingement and myofascial pain. (Saste et al., 2024; Singla & Veqar, 2017; El-Azeim et al., click here 2022).
Elbow:
Indirect Effects: While direct evidence is limited, FHP and associated postural changes can alter the way your upper and lower arms move.
This potentially increases tension on nerve roots – the segments of your nerves that emerge from your CNS (Central Nervous System).
It also affects muscle function down the kinetic chain – shoulder, arm, and forearm muscles.
As a result, this may influence elbow function, especially in the presence of other risk factors. (Mosaad et al., 2020; Balogh et al., 2019).
And from experience, it’s one of the reasons (besides poor technique) that guys get elbow tendinitis.
And this is just the role of FHP on the UPPER body.
As you can see, if you’ve had neck, shoulder, upper back, or even elbow issues that just won’t go away when using things like the foam roller, stretching, massage, or other alternative modalities…
It’s most likely because you’ve been addressing the symptoms – NOT the root cause – Text Neck and/or FHP.
(Just think – we haven’t even covered the other areas of the body affected by Text Neck / FHP!)
So, the question becomes –
“How do you reduce / fix FHP if you have it and suffer from any of its effects?”
Here’s one simple drill you can test out for yourself.
Simply test any range of motion – like a Goblet Squat, or putting your arm over your head, then do the drill.
Then test that same range of motion again.
If it was beneficial, your Central Nervous System will “unlock” one of the following:
1- Increased range of motion (like it’s easier to put your arm overhead or squat deeper)
2- Increased speed of movement (you move faster through any given range of motion)
3- Increased strength (like increase in Press weight)
4- Any combination of the previous three
Using these drills – and others like them – I’ve watched people for the last 15 years from all over the world IMMEDIATELY increase their strength, decrease their “discomfort”, and increase their mobility.