Cervical Postural Relapse Effects — A Reversal of the Neuromuscular Trajectory
Originally published 2017 · Last updated May 2026
by Clayton A, Chan, D.D.S. – Founder/Director of Occlusion Connections™
When the Bite Held — Until It Didn’t
You adjusted the occlusion. The patient improved. The orthotic was working. The head posture corrected. The bite held — for a while.
Then the symptoms returned. Headaches. Neck tension. Forward head posture you thought you had corrected. The bite that felt right last visit feels off again. This is cervical postural relapse — and it has a specific structural cause that most dentists never learn to recognize.
What Triggers the Reversal
Cervical postural relapse effects can occur having a reversal on the Neuromuscular Trajectory due to inexperienced occlusal management and improperly establishing the wrong maxillary occlusal plane. As the mandible moves or shifts posteriorly, due to an imbalanced occlusion and improper gearing of the teeth (flattening), the following will result:
