Eyeball Exercises and Cervical Stabilization in Text Neck Syndrome

Overview

The prolonged use of electronic devices in the population nowadays contributes to the development of various musculoskeletal disorders affecting the neck. One such condition is the Text neck syndrome characterized by neck pain and muscular imbalance in the region as well as development of forward head posture. Some additional symptoms include headaches, impaired range of motion and eye strain. Eyeball exercises have been shown to improve symptoms of neck pain, and cervical stabilization has demonstrated positive effects on the deep cervical flexors, thereby improving forward head posture and other neck-associated symptoms. However, the combined effect of these two interventions has not been studied to treat text neck syndrome before. The primary outcome measures include the pain measured through Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and pain pressure threshold (algometer), whereas the secondary outcome measures include the craniovertebral angle (CVA) and functional disability measured through neck disability index (NDI).

Text neck syndrome is a musculoskeletal syndrome characterized by neck pain, forward head posture, muscular imbalance, headache, reduced range of motion and eye problems. In the present era where everything is done through electronic devices and gadgets it is difficult to maintain a proper posture, which affects most importantly the cervical region. Prolonged use of these gadgets have led to the development of text neck syndrome which is a new pandemic these days. Constant screen use has detrimental effects on eyes that effects our neck as well, therefore the use of eyeball exercises has shown to improve the symptoms of neck pain. Cervical stabilization focuses on the deep neck flexor muscles which become weak and inactive in text neck syndrome. Cervical stabilization has shown improvements in the activation of these muscles as well as improved their strength along with improving the forward head posture. the combined effects of both these treatment regimes has not been studied yet in text neck syndrome individuals therefore the purpose of this randomized clinical trial will be to assess the combined effects of these treatment approaches on text neck syndrome. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) will be used to assess and measure the pain intensity along with NDI (neck disability index) that will help in functional evaluation and will serve as the primary outcome measures in this study. The Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) and Pain Pressure Threshold (PPT) measured through algometer will also be measured and will be the secondary outcome measures in this study.