FORWARD HEAD POSTURE CORRECTION VERSUS SHOULDER STABILIZATION EXERCISES EFFECT ON SCAPULAR DYSKINESIA AND SHOULDER PROPRIOCEPTION IN ATHLETES AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Abstract

Background: Forward head posture (FHP), the most common deviation from the normal curvature in cervical spine. Craniocervical flexor muscle strengthening is frequently used treatment for FHP. Scapular dykinesia (SD) is the alteration in the normal static or dynamic motion of the scapula during coupled scapulohumeral movements. Shoulder stabilization exercises are an effective treatment for SD. As both FHP and SD are related to each other, the objective of the study was to find and compare the effect of FHP correction and shoulder stabilization exercises on SD and shoulder proprioception.
Methods: 40 athletes (18-30yrs) were recruited. Subjects were randomly allocated into two groups. Group A received deep neck flexor strengthening and anterior scalene stretch, group B received shoulder stabilizing exercises. Paired t test and chi-square test were used to judge the statistical significant difference. The level of significance was set at p <0.05. All data was analyzed using SPSS program version 12.
Result: No statistical significant difference was found between the groups for the 4 outcome variables, but significant improvement was seen within the groups. Shoulder proprioception was found to be significant between the groups where group B (p =<0.001) showed better improvement than group A (p = <0.017).
Conclusion: Both FHP correction as well as shoulder stabilization exercises were equally effective in correction of scapular dyskinesia and shoulder proprioception. Shoulder stabilization exercises showed slightly better improvement than FHP correction group in reducing proprioception errors. Also neck strength values were found to be clinically significant for deep neck strengthening group.