J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  2003 Feb;27(1):126-130.

Forward Head Posture: Relationship between Spinal Alignment Indicies and Myoelectrical Activities of the Paraspinal Muscles

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Korea.
  • 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Inje University College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
We evaluated the effects of forward head posture on the myoelectrical activities of the paraspinal muscles. METHOD: 15 healthy persons who were pain-free and didn't have the history of neuromuscular disease were participated in this study. Measurements were taken in three different sitting positions (relaxed, erect and forward head posture) with staring forward and arms hanging at the side. Paraspinal myoelectrical activities were measured by surface electrodes in paracervical, paralumbar, sternocleidomastoid (SCM) and levator scapular (LS) muscles. Simultaneously whole spine lateral X-ray including skull was taken. We measured cranio-cervical spinal alignment indicies (craniovertical, craniocervical, cervicohorizontal and upper cervical angles) introduced by Huggare and Gonzalez, lower cervical angle, lumbar lordosis angle and myoelectrical activity of each muscle in three different sitting positions. RESULTS: The analysis of relationship between lumbar lordosis and cranio-cervical spinal alignment index showed significant results. The more the lumbar lordosis increased, the head forward displacement decreased. But, the myoelectrical activities of paraspinal muscles were not influenced by the posture. CONCLUSION: Maintaining lumbar lordosis is very important to correct forward head posture and research for the distraction force loaded to soft tissue of the neck in forward head posture is needed.

Keyword

Forward head posture; Spine alignment; Myoelectrical activity

MeSH Terms

Animals
Arm
Electrodes
Head*
Humans
Lordosis
Muscles
Neck
Neuromuscular Diseases
Paraspinal Muscles*
Posture*
Skull
Spine
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