The Effect of Relaxation and Strengthening Exercises on Improving Cervical Spine Posture and Reducing Chronic Muscle Tension

Abstract

Forward head posture (Forward Head Posture) are among the most common musculoskeletal disorders in modern times, particularly among office workers and heavy users of digital devices. This study aimed to investigate the effect of relaxation and strengthening exercises on improving spinal alignment in the cervical region and reducing chronic muscle tension in a sample of adults. The researchers employed a pre-post experimental design for a single group. The study sample consisted of 20 individuals suffering from chronic muscle tension in the neck region, selected using a purposive sampling method from physiotherapy centres in the city of Sabha. The proposed training programme was implemented over an 8-week period, comprising three sessions per week. The programme included progressive muscle relaxation exercises and strengthening exercises for the deep and superficial neck muscles. Various measures and tests were used to obtain data on variables relating to spinal alignment (cervical-vertebral angle), muscle tension and pain levels (VAS), range of motion (ROM), and trapezius muscle activity (EMG). The results showed statistically significant differences between the pre- and post-measurements in favour of the post-measurement for all variables (p < 0.05). The neck alignment angle improved by 15.2% and the pain level decreased by 57.4% Trapezius muscle activity decreased by 46.8%, and range of motion improved by 36.1% for flexion and 23.9% for rotation. The proposed training programme (relaxation and strengthening) is effective in improving cervical spinal alignment and reducing chronic muscle tension and pain, and its use is recommended in therapeutic and preventive programmes for correcting neck postures.