Comparison Between Cervical Proprioception and Flexor Endurance in Asymptomatic Individuals with and Without Forward Head Posture

Background: Cervical proprioception and endurance are important elements to aid in injury prevention, support the functional movement, maintain proper posture, and promote overall health. Enhancing cervical proprioception and strengthening cervical muscles to enhance endurance can help to achieve better stability and mobility, thereby improving overall posture, physical performance, and health Objective: This study aims to compare cervical proprioception and cervical flexor endurance in students with and without forward head posture. Materials and Methods: Twenty-four healthy students aged 20 to 24 years participated in the study. The participants were divided into two groups according to their CV angle. If the CV angle was more than 48, then those students were allocated to group A, i.e., neutral head posture (NHP) and if it was less than 48 then, the students were in group B, i.e., forward head posture (FHP). Cervical proprioception was assessed using the head repositioning accuracy test, and cervical muscle endurance was evaluated using the pressure biofeedback for cervical endurance. Statistical Analysis: The Shapiro-Wilk test was conducted to assess the normality of the data from the cervical proprioception test and cervical muscle endurance. These data were summarized using mean and standard deviation and an Independent T-Test was used to compare proprioception and cervical muscle endurance. Results: The mean value of cervical flexor endurance is higher in group A (142±15.5) when compared to group B (79±10.6) and cervical proprioception is lower in group A (4.7±1.16) when compared to group B (6.8±2.25). There is a significant difference between cervical proprioception (t== -2.9, p== 0.08) and cervical flexor endurance (t== 3.3, p== 0.03) in asymptomatic college students with and without FHP, indicating that individuals with forward heads have both lower endurance and lower proprioceptive accuracy than those without forward heads. Conclusion: Cervical flexor endurance is comparatively higher in NHP and proprioceptive measurement is comparatively less in FHP indicating that NHP have better cervical head proprioception and endurance. Key words: Body position, Muscle Strength, Neck Muscles, Proprioception.