The effects of forward head posture on sensorimotor integration and neck and shoulder proprioception

Abstract

Forward head posture (FHP) is commonly seen in today’s society as a result of excess technology use. The central nervous system uses the position of the head with respect to the neck when interpreting the location of the upper limb. While experimental pain studies undoubtedly provide a link between pain and altered motor control, there is less evidence to support the potential progression to chronic pain as a consequence of altered motor control in the presence of FHP or fatigue. In this thesis, study 1 showed that individuals with FHP produced larger and more variable joint positioning errors when compared to individuals without. Study 2, used somatosensory evoked potentials to measure cortical activity related to sensorimotor integration following a motor learning task. This study was the first to report differential changes to SEP peak amplitudes in response to acute alterations in afferent input to the neck induced by FHP. With the growing use of technology in today’s society, these preliminary findings support the need for further research into this potentially problematic phenomenon.