The effect of modified cervical exercise on smartphone users with forward head posture.
Yong-Soo Kong, Yu-Mi Kim, Je-Myung Shim
PMID 28265167WHAT IT FOUND
32 young adults with forward head posture improved their neck posture angle after four weeks of supervised cervical exercise.
Those doing it three times daily improved most, with an 8.7-degree change; once daily improved 3.8 degrees.
Key findings
01All three groups showed a significantly increased range of motion after the four-week modified cervical exercise program.
02The greatest effect was in the three-times-daily group, and the craniovertebral angle change was 8.7 ± 5.0 degrees there, compared with 3.8 ± 3.4 degrees in the once-daily group.
03The once-daily and three-times-daily groups differed significantly (p<0.05).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Initial subjects were 39 adults, but 32 ultimately participated, and the authors noted the small sample size. All groups received the same modified cervical exercise, so the study cannot show that the exercise itself caused the change rather than time or supervision. The exercise combined McKenzie's and Kendall's movements, so the study cannot separate the contribution of each movement. The authors also noted lack of control over participants' activities and said future studies should examine how long the improved posture persists. The study excluded people with vestibular problems, inability to perform the exercises, and certain nervous system, musculoskeletal, or respiratory conditions.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that three daily sessions are proven best for forward head posture. All groups received the same modified exercise, the sample was small, and the authors noted lack of control over participants' activities.