Effects of McKenzie exercise, Kinesio taping, and myofascial release on the forward head posture.
Jiyoung Kim, Sungjoong Kim, Jemyung Shim and 6 others
PMID 30154609WHAT IT FOUND
In 28 young adults with forward head posture, McKenzie exercises with myofascial release, McKenzie with Kinesio tape, and all three together reduced ear-to-shoulder distance.
All groups received treatment, so it cannot show which part helped.
Key findings
01A-T length decreased significantly in all three groups after the intervention.
02Craniovertebral angle changed significantly only in group C, the group receiving McKenzie exercise, myofascial release, and Kinesio taping.
03Cranial rotation angle changed in all groups but not significantly.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 28 undergraduate students were studied, so the results may not apply to older or more symptomatic patients. The paper does not describe randomisation or blinding, and all groups received active treatment, so there is no untreated comparison. Each group received multiple treatments together, so the contribution of McKenzie exercise, myofascial release, or Kinesio taping cannot be separated. The intervention period is inconsistent: methods say three times a week for four weeks, but results say six-week intervention period. The Neck Disability Index was listed as an outcome, but no NDI results are reported.
Declared interests
The study was supported by a 2015 Research Grant from Kangwon National University. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that McKenzie exercise, myofascial release, or Kinesio taping individually improves forward head posture. The study gave these treatments in combinations, all groups received active treatment, and randomisation was not described, so the improvements cannot be attributed to any one component.