Upper Cross Syndrome and Neck Proprioception

Correlation Between Upper Cross Syndrome and Neck Proprioception

Hypothesis:

No statistically significant relationship exists between upper cross syndrome and neck proprioception.

Study Design:

Randomized Controlled Trial

Participants:

Office workers (≥4h computer use/day) Age: 28-48 years Chronic nonspecific neck pain (\>3 months) Forward head posture (FHP) \<46° VAS score: 3-8 cm No cognitive impairments affecting participation

Exclusion Criteria:

Systemic, rheumatic, or neuromuscular diseases Neurological signs, spinal surgery, or recent physical therapy Missing ≥3 consecutive or 4 nonconsecutive sessions

Study Title:Correlation Between Upper Cross Syndrome and Neck Proprioception

Hypothesis:There will be no statistically significant relationship between upper cross syndrome and neck proprioception.

Methodology:

Study Design:Randomized controlled trial

Inclusion Criteria:

Office workers using a computer for at least 4 hours daily

Aged between 28 and 48 years

Neck pain (NP) between 3 and 8 cm on a visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = no pain, 10 = unbearable pain)

Chronic nonspecific neck pain lasting for more than 3 months

Forward head posture (FHP) less than 46°

Patients willing and able to participate in an exercise program safely without cognitive impairments that would limit participation

Exclusion Criteria:

Specific causes of NP (e.g., systemic, rheumatic, neuromuscular diseases)

Central or peripheral neurological signs

Cognitive impairment

History of spinal surgery

Physical therapy treatments in the last 6 months prior to baseline assessment

Participants missing at least three consecutive or four nonconsecutive sessions

Outcome Measures:

Spinal Curvature Assessment Using Spinal Mouse DeviceThe spinal mouse device is physically guided along the skin of the spine

Neck Pain MeasurementNP is evaluated using a 10-cm VAS, a widely used clinical tool for assessing pain treatment effectiveness.

Neck Disability Index (NDI)Disability is assessed using the NDI questionnaire.

Measurement of Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) Using a CROM

Assessment of Cervical Proprioception Using the CROM DeviceHead Reposition Accuracy Tests:

Neutral Head Position (NHP) Test: Measures the ability to actively reposition the head to the self-selected neutral position.

Target Head Position (THP) Test: Measures the ability to actively reposition the head to a previously demonstrated target position.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

* office workers (using a computer at least 4 h),

  * aged between 28 and 48 years,
  * NP between 3 and 8 cm on a visual analog scale (VAS) (from 0 indicating no pain at all to 10 indicating unbearable pain),
  * chronic nonspecific neck pain lasting for more than 3 months, and FHP less than 46° (Fathollahnejad et al., 2019).
  * Patients willing and able to participate in an exercise program safely and without cognitive impairments that would limit their participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* specific causes of NP (e.g., systemic, rheumatic, neuromuscular diseases), central or peripheral neurological signs, cognitive impairment, spinal surgery, or physical therapy treatments in the last 6 months prior to the baseline assessment.
* Participants would be also excluded if they missed at least three consecutive or four nonconsecutive sessions (Fathollahnejad et al., 2019).