Impact of Tight Collars and Neckties on Cervical Dysfunction Among Corporate Workers

Background Corporate workers often wear formal attire, including tight shirt collars and neckties, for prolonged periods during working hours. Continuous pressure around the cervical region may restrict neck movement, alter posture, reduce local blood circulation, and increase muscle tension. Long sitting hours, poor ergonomics, and work-related stress further contribute to cervical discomfort and dysfunction among office employees. Despite the widespread use of formal neckwear in corporate environments, limited research has focused on its specific impact on cervical dysfunction. Therefore, understanding the relationship between tight collars, neckties, and cervical health is important for providing workplace ergonomics and preventing musculoskeletal problems among corporate workers. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted between December 2025 and March 2026 among corporate workers in Pune, Maharashtra, India. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling through a Google Forms (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) questionnaire circulated via social media. Eligible corporate workers aged 25-45 years who provided electronic informed consent were included, while those with cervical spine surgery, cervical trauma, neurological disorders, or musculoskeletal conditions affecting the cervical spine were excluded. A total of 125 participants were included in the final analysis. A self-structured questionnaire was developed after a literature review and included demographic, neckwear-related, and cervical dysfunction sections. The questionnaire underwent face and content validation by physiotherapy experts and was pilot-tested on 10 corporate workers, who were excluded from the final analysis. Institutional ethics committee approval was obtained before data collection. Responses were collected anonymously through Google Forms and analyzed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA). Descriptive statistics were presented as frequencies and percentages. Results Among the 125 corporate workers, 69 (55.6%) were male and 55 (44.4%) were female. Moderately tight collars were reported by 88 (70.4%) participants, while 77 (61.6%) experienced mild pressure around the neck. Mild neck pain while wearing a tight collar or necktie was reported by 66 (52.8%) participants, and 74 (59.2%) experienced mild neck stiffness. Slight relief after loosening the collar was reported by 58 (46.4%) participants. Nearly half (62 (49.6%)) demonstrated a slightly forward-bent neck posture during work, indicating that many participants reported cervical discomfort while wearing tight neckwear. Conclusion The study found that many participants who wore tight collars and neckties reported cervical discomfort. As this was a descriptive cross-sectional study, these findings describe the observed responses and do not establish a causal relationship. Proper neckwear fitting, ergonomic awareness, and healthy workplace practices may help reduce cervical discomfort and improve musculoskeletal health.