IMMEDIATE EFFECTS OF MYOFASCIAL RELEASE AND MUSCLE ENERGY TECHNIQUE ON CERVICAL PROPRIOCEPTION USING CERVICAL JOINT POSITION ERROR TEST IN YOUNG ADULTS WITH EXCESSIVE SCREEN TIME: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Background: Prolonged screen exposure has been linked to altered cervical proprioception. Myofascial release (MFR) and muscle energy technique (MET) are commonly used physiotherapy techniques that have shown an improvement in cervical proprioception in a 4-6 week long protocol, but their immediate effects on cervical joint position sense have not been studied. Objective: To study the immediate effects of MFR and MET on cervical proprioception using the cervical joint position error (JPE) test in young adults with excessive screen time and compare the results. Methods: An experimental study was conducted among 30 adults aged 20–39 years who reported more than 4 hours of daily screen exposure and demonstrated cervical JPE above the predefined threshold. Participants were allocated to MFR or MET. Cervical JPE was assessed in all six cervical planes before and immediately after the intervention. Within-group and between-group comparisons were performed using appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The MFR group showed significant improvement in right rotation (p=0.006) and left rotation (p=0.013). The MET group showed significant improvement in right rotation (p=0.001), left rotation (p=0.008), right lateral flexion (p=0.001) and left lateral flexion (p=0.003). Neither technique produced a significant within-group change in flexion or extension. No significant between-group differences were observed for any direction. Conclusion: Both MFR and MET produced immediate improvements in cervical rotation. MET additionally showed significant improvements in lateral flexion. However, neither technique demonstrated superiority over the other. Keywords: cervical proprioception, joint position error, myofascial release, muscle energy technique, screen time, young adults