Comparison of suboccipital and diaphragm muscle release on posture, pain, and functional ability in patients with symptomatic forward head posture

Comparison of suboccipital myofascial release and diaphragm myofascial release on posture, pain and functional ability in patients with symptomatic forward head posture: A randomized clinical trial study

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Phase 3

Study type

Interventional

Source

IRCT

Registry ID

IRCT20250629066291N1

Enrollment

Registered

2025-09-06

Start date

2025-09-20

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Forward head posture. Abnormal posture

Interventions

Intervention 1: Intervention group1: Diaphragm release and therapeutic exercise. To perform diaphragm release, the patient sits upright, and the therapist, positioned behind them, wraps his/her hands

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to 40 Years

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: Age range: 18 to 40 years Having reported neck pain for at least the past 6 weeks CVA angle must be less than 49.9 degrees Individuals must present tenderness in the diaphragm Average daily use of mobile phones and computers should be 4 hours or more, or 4 continuous hours of computer use in a seated position

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Visual and auditory impairments Neurological disorders Balance disorders History of surgery in the neck and spine area History of any trauma to the cervical spine, such as whiplash injury Cognitive impairments Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis History of any fracture in the neck area Congenital defects in the neck area (e.g., torticollis) Respiratory diseases and shingles Professional athletes Cervical spinal canal stenosis Radicular pain related to the neck area Malignancy Fibromyalgia Undergoing physiotherapy treatment in the past six months Use of painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, or muscle relaxants in the past 72 hours History of clavicle and rib fractures

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Head postural status. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Craniovertebral angle.;Pain intensity. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Numerical pain rating scale.;Functional ability. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Neck disability index.	—

Measure

Time frame

Head postural status. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Craniovertebral angle.;Pain intensity. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Numerical pain rating scale.;Functional ability. Timepoint: Before intervention; One day after intervention period. Method of measurement: Neck disability index.

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Countries

Iran (Islamic Republic of)

Contacts

Public ContactFarzaneh Haghighat

Shiraz University of Medical Sciences

haghighat_fa@yahoo.com+98 71 3624 0101

Outcome results

None listed

Source: IRCT (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026