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The Effect of Eight Weeks of Corrective Exercises on Forward Head Posture and Its Association with Neck Pain Intensity in Military Personnel
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Amir Falahnezhad Mojarad1   , Gholamreza Moradi Siasar2 , Mehdi Norouzi *3 |
1- Assistant Professor, Faculty Member of the Physical Education Department, University of Applied Police Sciences Amin, Tehran, Iran
2- Associate Professor, Faculty Member of the Physical Education Department, Imam Hassan Mojtaba Police Academy, Tehran, Iran - Master's Degree in Sports Injury and Corrective Exercises, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3- Sports Injury and Corrective Exercises Department, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran |
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Abstract: (18 Views) |
Introduction: Police personnel may be at increased risk of musculoskeletal problems because of occupational exposures, including prolonged static postures, repetitive movements, and carrying equipment. These problems may include postural deviations such as forward head posture (FHP) and symptoms such as neck pain.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of an eight-week program of selected corrective exercises on FHP and to examine the association between FHP and neck pain intensity among administrative and operational personnel of the Hamadan Province Police Command, Iran.
Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental interventional study included 30 police personnel who presented to the health clinic of the Hamadan Province Police Command with pain in the neck, upper back, or shoulder region. Participants were recruited using a census approach and classified by occupational role into administrative and operational groups, with 15 participants in each group. Forward head angle was measured from photographs using AutoCAD software, and neck pain intensity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Participants performed a program of selected corrective exercises three times per week for eight weeks. Changes in forward head angle were analyzed using a two-way mixed-design analysis of variance and paired-samples t-tests. Changes in pain intensity were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The association between forward head angle and neck pain intensity was examined using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient.
Results: Following the eight-week corrective exercise program, forward head angle decreased significantly in both groups. In the administrative group, the mean angle decreased from 50.27 ± 0.85° at pretest to 49.80±1.01° at posttest (P=0.005). In the operational group, it decreased from 47.22±0.96° to 45.62±1.67° (P=0.003). The group-by-time interaction was also statistically significant (P=0.025), indicating a greater reduction in forward head angle in the operational group than in the administrative group. Neck pain intensity decreased significantly after the intervention in both groups. However, no significant correlation was observed between forward head angle and neck pain intensity at either pretest or posttest in either group (all P>0.05).
Conclusion: An eight-week program of selected corrective exercises may significantly improve forward head posture and reduce neck pain intensity among administrative and operational police personnel. However, the absence of a significant correlation between forward head angle and neck pain intensity suggests that changes in these variables were not necessarily associated. Given the nonrandom allocation of participants and the absence of a control group, the greater improvement observed in the operational group should be interpreted with caution. |
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| Keywords: Corrective Exercises, Musculoskeletal Disorders, Neck Pain, Police Personnel |
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Full-Text [PDF 758 kb]
(1 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Health education and health promotion
Received: 2025/05/11 | Revised: 2025/10/3 | Accepted: 2025/10/6
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