Text Neck Syndrome, Forward Head Posture
Conditions
Keywords
Text neck syndrome, Forward head posture, GONG's Mobilization, sustained natural appophyseal glide, neck disability, craniovertebral angle
Brief summary
Text neck syndrome is a common musculoskeletal disorder caused by prolonged smartphone and computer use, resulting in neck pain, forward head posture, and functional disability. Manual therapy techniques, including Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides (SNAG) and GONG's Mobilization, are frequently used to manage cervical dysfunction. This quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparative study aimed to compare the effectiveness of SNAG and GONG's Mobilization on pain intensity, craniovertebral angle, and neck disability in individuals with text neck syndrome. Participants divided into 2 groups (Treatment group A and B) were undergo baseline and post-intervention assessments followed a 12-week treatment program
Detailed description
Text neck syndrome has emerged as a growing health concern due to increased use of smartphones, laptops, and other digital devices. Prolonged forward head posture places excessive mechanical stress on cervical structures, leading to neck pain, muscle imbalance, postural abnormalities, and functional limitations. Manual therapy interventions such as Sustained Natural Apophyseal Glides (SNAG) and GONG's Mobilization have demonstrated beneficial effects in managing cervical spine dysfunction. However, evidence comparing these two techniques specifically in individuals with text neck syndrome remains limited. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest comparative study conducted. 48 participants were recruited aged 18-25 years from The University of Faisalabad. Participants diagnosed with text neck syndrome allocated into two treatment groups according to the study protocol. The participants divided into 2 groups (A and B) Both groups received moist heat therapy for 10 minutes before intervention. Group A received SNAG mobilization, while Group B received GONG's Mobilization. Treatment sessions were conducted three times per week on alternate days for 12 weeks. Outcomes and outcome measuring tools were pain intensity by using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Craniovertebral angle by Goniometer, and neck disability by Neck Disability Index (NDI).
Interventions
PROCEDUREMoist Heat Therapy
A moist hot pack was applied to the cervical region for 10 minutes before the manual therapy intervention in both study groups
SNAG mobilization was applied to the cervical spine with 10-15 repetitions per session for approximately 20 minutes, 3 sessions per week on alternate days for 12 weeks
PROCEDUREGONG's Mobilization
GONG's Mobilization was administered to the cervical spine using 10-15 repetitions per session for approximately 20 minutes, three sessions per week on alternate days for 12 weeks
Sponsors
University of Faisalabad
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
The study was conducted with a nonrandomized, pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design of 2 parallel groups. As per the study protocol, the participants were randomly allocated to one of the two intervention groups. Pre and after intervention assessments were done to examine the effects of SNAG and GONG's Mobilization on pain, craniovertebral angle and neck impairment after a 12 week treatment period.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 25 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Both Male and Female who engage in prolonged computer and phone usage for more than 4 hours per day for over a year * Neck pain (3 to 8 on NPRS) * Altered cranio-vertebral angle\<49 degree
Exclusion criteria
* Recent cervical spine fracture/injury * Congenital malformation * Recent history of head and neck surgery * Congenital torticollis
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Craniovertebral Angle | Baseline and Week 12 (end of the intervention) | Craniovertebral angle was measured using a universal goniometer to assess forward head posture |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity | Baseline and Week 12 (end of intervention) | Pain intensity was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), an 11-point self-reported scale ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain) |
Countries
Pakistan
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORNoreen Kiran, PhD
University of Faisalabad
Outcome results
None listed