Cervical Position Sense in Forward Head Posture versus Chronic Neck Pain: A Comparative Study

Chronic Neck Pain (CNP) and Forward Head Posture (FHP) are two common musculoskeletal problems of the modern society. Previous studies reported several complications both in CNP and FHP including Joint cervical position sense dysfunction, sensorimotor disturbance, and altered muscle function. However, still, the extent of cervical proprioceptive dysfunction in FHP and CNP is not well known. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the cervical position sense in individuals with FHP and patients with CNP.

Method and Materials:

 A total of 25 individuals with FHP and 25 patients with CNP participated in the present study. Craniovertebral Angle (CVA) was measured to identify individuals with FHP. Participants’ cervical position senses were calculated performing Head Repositioning Error (HRE) test. Also, independent t-test was run to compare the HRE between the two groups. Finally, in order to evaluate the association between pain and CVA with HRE, Spearman correlation was conducted.

The results of the present study revealed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of HRE (p=0.02), with higher HRE in patients with CNP. A moderate positive correlation was observed for CVA and HRE. No significant relationship was found between pain and HRE.

The results of the present study showed that patients with CNP have higher HRE, indicating more cervical proprioceptive dysfunction in such patients compared with those in individuals with FHP. This finding may be of interest for those researchers investigating the effects of pain and mechanical loads on cervical position sense.