see if there is no statistical significant difference between the effects of Pilates mat versus cervical stabilization exercises on myoelectric activity of cervical muscles in young adults with forward head posture.
Forward head posture (FHP) increases extension of the atlanto-occipital joint and the upper cervical vertebrae as well as flexion of the lower cervical and upper thoracic vertebrae. Furthermore, this posture causes persistent and abnormal contraction of the suboccipital, neck, and shoulder muscles. Additionally, the muscles around the head and shoulders, including the trapezius, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipital, and temporal, are affected by FHP, which further worsens postural deformity. FHP is the most common deviation from ideal head posture and is characterized by the head projecting forward into the sagittal plane such that it is anterior to the trunk. Head in forward posture can add up to thirty pounds of abnormal leverage on the cervical spine, which pull the entire spine out of alignment, in addition, loss of the physiological lordosis could be a possible cause of pain due to muscular imbalance.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
Pilates mat exercises: Each Pilates session will last for one hour and commence with a 10 minute warm up and finish with a 10 min cool down. The subjects will be taught the 5 key elements of Pilates (lateral costal breathing, centring which is a neutral position of the lumbar spine with activation of the core muscles, ribcage placement, shoulder blade placement and neutral position of the cervical spine with slight upper cervical flexion at the cranio-cervical junction). Pilates exercise program will consist of warm up exercises, main treatment program (10 level) and cooling down exercises.
training of deep cervical flexor muscles with pressure biofeedback unit, 20 min/day, 3 days/week for 12 weeks.
Faculty of Physical Therapy-Cairo University
Giza, Egypt
Myoelectric activity of cervical muscles
by surface electromyography (EMG)
Time frame: up to twelve weeks
Craniocervical angle
by photogrammetric method.
Time frame: up to twelve weeks
Pain intensity of neck area
by visual analogue scale 10 cm line with 2 ends, 0 and 10 ends 0 end means no pain 10 end means the worst pain
Time frame: up to twelve weeks
function of daily life
by neck disability index
Time frame: up to twelve weeks
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10 min hot pack on cervical area range of motion exercises and isometric neck exercises as a home program 3 days/week for 12 weeks