Effect of Forward Head Posture on Erector Spinae Muscle Activity

Abstract

Background: For instance, forward head posture (FHP), characterized by the forward move-ment of the head relative to the spine, places significant stress on the neck and upper back muscles, disrupting the biomechanical balance of the body. Objects: The objective of this study was to probe the biomechanical effects of FHP on mus-culoskeletal health through a relative analysis of 26 adults diagnosed with FHP and 26 healthy controls. Methods: In this study, we evaluated the biomechanical impacts of FHP. Participants adjusted their head positions and underwent muscle strength tests, including electromyography assess-ments and the Biering-Sørensen test for trunk muscle endurance. Data analysis was conducted using Kinovea (Kinovea) and IBM SPSS software ver. 26.0 (IBM Co.) to compare muscle activi-ties between groups with normal and FHPs. Results: The study shows that individuals with FHP have significantly lower muscle activity, endurance, and spinal extension in the erector spinae compared to those without, highlight-ing the detrimental effects of FHP on these muscles. Conclusion: This study underscores the impact of FHP on erector spinae function and em-phasizes the need for posture correction to enhance musculoskeletal health and guide future research on intervention strategies.

Keywords

• biomechanical phenomena
• mechanical stress
• posture