relationship between forward head posture and cervical pain

The purpose of the study was to find out the relationship between forward head posture and cervical pain. This study was carried out during the period from September 2001 to January 2002 at the Rehabilitation Science Department, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Twenty volunteers [10 males, 10 females], their ages were between 20 to 40 years. The magnitude of the cervical curve is measured from C2 to C7. A numerical rating scale from 0 to 10 was used to assess the pain at cervical spine and head. The mean males age was 24.1 +/- 3.93 years, while in females was 28.7 +/- 7.02 years. The mean males height was 169.4 +/- 4.5 centimeters, while in female was 164.4 +/- 3 centimeters. The mean males weight was 64.5 +/- 8.72 kilograms, while in females was 63.45 +/- 6.3 kilograms. The mean angle between C2-C7 was 5.95 +/- 4.3 degrees in males, while it was 7.5 +/- 3.56 degrees in females. The mean pain intensity [pain scale from 0 to 10] was 3.4 +/- 2.4 in males, while it was 4.4 +/- 2.27 in females. 30% of the subjects have severe forward head posture combined with moderate pain. 30% of the subjects have moderate forward head posture, 5% of them have no pain while 5% have mild pain and 20% have moderate pain. 40% of the subjects have mild forward head posture, 10% of them have no pain, 20% have mild pain and 10% have moderate pain. There was significant relationship between pain and the increasing forward head posture, based on the radiographic angular values, for volunteers with and without neck pain. Also, the degree of the hypolordotic cervical spine changes with different genders, males have more forward head posture than females

Relaxation therapy as stress management in post traumatic head concussion following road traffic accident

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of a simple physiological, relaxation technique [Mitchell's technique] with a previously validated technique [Jacobson's progressive relaxation] and compare both techniques with a control supine lying position. Thirty subjects diagnosed as post-traumatic head concussion following road traffic accidents [RTA] were randomly assigned to three groups of equal number, each group received a three weeks program of daily 25 minutes session of either Mitchell's relaxation technique, Jacobson's progressive relaxation technique and control supine lying. The results showed a significant reduction after the relaxation techniques. For Mitchell's technique, the difference was as follows: Systolic blood pressure [SBP] 18.08, diastolic blood pressure [DBP] 9.3, heart rate [HR] 5.24 and respiratory rate [RR] 5.14. For Jacobson's technique, the difference was SBP 17.98, DBP 9.02, HR 4.9 and RR 4.89. These differences were statistically significant

Measurement of sitting stability in selected subjects with spinal cord injury

The purpose of this study was to measure the differences of sitting balance among certain patients with different levels of spinal cord injury [SCI]. Forty subjects with spinal cord injuries were divided into two groups based on injury level. Group one consisted of 20 subjects with T1-4 paraplegia and group two consisted of 20 subjects with T10-12 paraplegia. Subjects were seated on similar mat table with backboard set at 80 degrees for support. Each subject was asked to reach forward as maximum as possible without loosing balance. There was a difference in reach distance between group one and group two. Test-retest reliability was high with modification of the functional reach test [FRT] with a single rater. The modified FRT appears to provide reliable measurements of sitting balance in non- standing persons with SCI

Measurement of sitting stability in selected subjects with spinal cord injury

This study aimed to examine the possibility that functional reach test [FRT] could provide reliable measurement of sitting stability in subjects with spinal cord injury [SCI] who are unable to stand. Forty subjects with spinal cord injuries were divided into two groups based on injury level: Group I consisted of 20 subjects with TI-4 paraplegia and group II consisted of 20 subjects with T10-12 paraplegia. Subjects were seated on similar mat table with backboard set at 80C for support. Each subject was asked to reach forward as maximum as possible without loosing balance. The results indicated that difference in reach distance occurred between groups I and II. Test-retest reliability was high with modification of the functional reach test [FRT] with a single rater. The modified FRT provides reliable measurements of sitting balance in non-standing persons with SCI

Relaxation therapy as stress management in post traumatic head concussion following road traffic accident

This study aimed to compare the effect of a simple physiological relaxation technique [Mitchell's technique] with a previously validated technique [Jacobson's progressive relaxation] and compare both with a control supine lying position. Thirty subjects diagnosed as post-traumatic head concussion following road traffic accidents [RTA] underwent a baseline pre and post-intervention measurement of systolic blood pressure [SBP], diastolic blood pressure [DBP], heart rate [HR] and respiratory rate [RR]. Subjects were randomly assigned to three groups of equal number, each received a three-week-program of daily 25 minutes session of either Mitchell's relaxation technique, Jacobson's progressive relaxation technique or control supine lying