Muscle Energy Technique on Forward Head Posture and Cervical Mobility in Visually Impaired Children

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Forward head posture is one of the most common postural deviation seen among visually impaired children and, it is characterized by hyperextension of upper cervical and flexion of lower cervical spine. These changes lead to muscle imbalance and resulting in weakness of the deep cervical flexors, shortening of the opposing cervical extensors and reduction in cervical range of motion. Muscle energy technique is a manual therapy technique using in the treatment of shortened muscles, muscle weakness, restricted joints range of motion. so this study aimed to investigate the efficacy of muscle energy technique on forward head posture and cervical mobility in visually impaired children.

Detailed Description
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subjects will be allocated according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria from different schools for visually impaired children. They will be divided randomly into study group and control group. Study group will be participated in suboccipital muscle energy technique. Control group will be participated in sham technique. The duration of treatment for both groups will be 3 times/week for 6 weeks. Autodesk AutoCAD software will be used to analyze the measured angles and CROM will be used to assess cervical mobility

Official Title
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Efficacy of Muscle Energy Technique on Forward Head Posture and Cervical Mobility in Visually Impaired Children

Conditions
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Children With Visual Disabilities

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: muscle energy technique


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Visual acuity will be 6/24, 6/36 and 6/60 after correction. Wearing glasses more than one year. Craniovertebral angle < 50°. Functional hearing. Exclusion Criteria: Injury of cervical region (e.g: atlantoaxial instability). Cervical spine deformities or/disorders. History of previous cervical spine surgery. Rheumatic and congenital heart disease. Regular participation in any sport activities. Intellectual or/mental disabilities

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 8 Years
Maximum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: group A<br>suboccipital muscle energy technique | Procedure: muscle energy technique<br>* muscle energy technique for suboccipital muscles<br>|
| Sham Comparator: group B<br>sham muscle energy technique | Procedure: muscle energy technique<br>* muscle energy technique for suboccipital muscles<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| change in craniovertebral angle | analysis of craniovertebral angle form lateral view performed by AUTOCAD program | baseline pre intervention and immediately after the intervention | 
| change of cervical range of motion | measurement of cervical range of motion including cervical flexion, cervical extension, cervical side bending, and cervical rotation. these measurement will be applied by CROM device | baseline pre intervention and immediately after the intervention |