The influence of forward head posture on cervical proprioception in dentists

Objective: The study aims to determine the influence of FHP on cervical proprioception in dentists. Method: In the study, 84 dentists were divided into two groups based on their craniovertebral (CV) angle: the FHP group (44 subjects with mean age 34.95 ± 6.68 years and CV angle 49° or less) and a healthy group (40 subjects with mean age 29.80 ± 6.46 years, CV angle ≥ 49°). CV angle: an angle formed between a line extending from 7th cervical vertebrae (C7) to the tragus of the ear and a horizontal line passing through C7. The cervical Joint Position Error (JPE) testing is performed as an estimate of cervical proprioception in sagittal (flexion, extension) and transverse plane (rotation to the left and the right). Three trials of JPE’s were tested in each direction, and the mean of these errors is used for analysis. Results: There were significant differences between the FHP and healthy subjects in the cervical JPEs (p<0.001) in all four directions. There was a weak to moderate negative correlation between the CV angle and the JPEs tested. Conclusion: The dentists with FHP demonstrated reduced cervical proprioception. Changes in the length-tension relationship in cervical musculature due to FHP may affect cervical position sense. Also, cervical proprioception may become worse as the degree of FHP increases.