Correlation between Degree of Forward Head Posture and Rounded Shoulder Posture in Physical Therapy Students

Abstract
Background: Forward head posture has been shown to be a common postural displacement, with a conservative estimate being 66% of the patient population. Failure of the head to align with the vertical axis of the body can lead to malalign-ments in the body such as rounded shoulders and hyper-kyphosis to compensate for altered location of the line of gravity leading to further impairments. Although most previous researches were conducted to determine the relation between Forward Head Posture (FHP) and cervical pain or thoracic kyphosis or temporomandibular joint and the relation between FHP and Rounded Shoulder Posture (RSP) is not clearly understood.
Aim of Study: The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between different degrees of forward head posture and changes in shoulder angle in asymptomatic subjects with forward head and rounded shoulder posture.
Subjects and Methods: 114 physical therapy subjects (58 males and 56 females) aged 18-27 years and body mass index ranged from 16-35kg/cm2 were recruited for this cross section study. The craniovertebral and shoulder angle were used to measure the degree of FHP and RSP respectively from standing position by photogrammetry.
Results: Significant negative negligible correlation was detected between mild degree of forward head posture and rounded shoulder (p0.3 and r=0.08).
Conclusion: It was demonstrated that, mild and moderate degrees of forward head posture change the degree of the rounded shoulder. However, the sever degrees of forward head posture don't change the degree of the rounded shoulder.