Evaluation of the Forward Head Posture, its association with Neck Pain & Quality of life of Female DPT Students

Background: Craniovertebral angle is the landmark for assessment of head and neck postures. The angle is significantly smaller in subjects with neck pain. The decrease in the values of Craniovertebral angle is associated with the greater incidence of forward head posture, and a greater level of disability among the subjects with neck pain. Objectives of Study: The purpose of the study was to measure and correlate Craniovertebral angle with the forward head posture in female university students and its association with level of disability. Methodology: It was a Descriptive cross sectional study. Forward head posture was assessed in female DPT students of Riphah International University who complaint of mild to moderate neck pain, they were asked to fill in Neck Disability Index Questionnaire and SF-36 Questionnaire. Goniometer was used to measure appropriate Craniovertebral angle, after seeking consent from students their side-view pictures were taken. The study took 6 months duration for its completion. Results: The results showed that 50% (n=32) students with complaint of neck pain had slight postural deformity having mild forward head posture (FHP) and fewer students, 3.1% ( n= 2) had severe postural deformity. Neck Disability Index, showed that majority of students 48.8% (n=31) were lying in moderate level of disability .SF-36 (Energy & Fatigue) depicted that majority of students were having loss of energy and some fatigue, which is (31-70%). There was a positive association between Craniovertebral angle (photogrammetric values) and quality of life, Energy & Fatigue level of the subjects with a p value of 0.052, while no association was found between photogrammetric values and Neck Disability Index, with p value 0.487 in students. Conclusions: There is an association between the forward head posture and the prevalence of neck pain among students; also there quality of life is affected making them prone to develop severe postural problems in future. Key words: Craniovertebral angle (CVA), Forward Head Posture (FHP), Neck pain