Smartphone Usage and Postural Stability in Individuals With Forward Head Posture: A Nintendo Wii Balance Board
Weerasak Tapanya1, Noppharath Sangkarit1
1Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, Phayao, Thailand.
Objective:
To assess postural stability, specifically center of body sway during single-leg standing balance, among individuals with and without forward head posture (FHP) during smartphone use.
Methods:
The research recruited 53 healthy smartphone users, aged 18-25, and categorized them into FHP group comprising 26 subjects and the normal (control) group with 27 subjects. Participants were assigned the task of maintaining balance while engaged in smartphone typing during single-leg standing. The experiment involved four specific conditions according to neck posture and stable of surface. The study meticulously quantified body center of pressure (COP) sway amplitudes using the Nintendo Wii Balance Board.
Results:
The research revealed that individuals with FHP exhibited significantly greater body sway compared to the control group when using smartphones. Notably, distinct variations were observed in path length sway, anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) sway amplitude, particularly evident when maintaining flexed neck positions on a soft surface while engaged with smartphones.
Conclusion:
These findings strongly suggest that individuals with FHP encounter deteriorated postural stability during smartphone use, particularly in challenging head positions.
