Effect of Including Cervical Stability Training with Treatment Modalities for Patients with Forward Head Posture and...

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of adding cervical stability training (CST) to a battery of treatment modalities on somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP) in patients with forward head (FHP) and chronic mechanical neck pain (CMNP).

Sixty patients with FHP and CMNP were randomized into 2 groups: Group A (study group) was subjected to CST and a battery of treatment modalities, whereas Group B (traditional group) underwent a battery of treatment modalities alone. Treatment was applied 3 sessions per week for 8 successive weeks. The primary outcomes were SSEP and craniovertebral angle (CVA). The secondary outcomes were visual analog scale for pain intensity, Neck Disability Index Arabic version for functional disability, an endurance test for neck flexor and extensor muscles, craniocervical flexion test for deep cervical flexor muscles activation, lateral radiographs using the posterior tangent method for cervical lordotic curvatures, and a phone application clinometer for cervical range of motion.

The findings demonstrated short-term statistically significant differences (P < .05) at posttreatment between the study and traditional treatment groups in favor of the study group. The mean difference and 95% CI between both groups in SSEP and CVA = 1.83 (1.63, 2.03) and 7.37 (6.49, 8.25), respectively.

For patients with chronic neck pain, CST exercises plus a battery of treatment modalities exhibited a greater effect on primary and secondary outcomes than the battery of treatment modalities alone.