Effect of Duration of Smartphone Use on Cervical Repositioning Error in Forward Head Posture and Normal Posture

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of the duration of smartphone usage on repositioning error in the cervical spine in forward head posture and normal posture.

Thirty subjects (normal group: mean age 22.2±.90 years, mean height 161.00±.87 cm, mean weight 56.46±1.40 kg; and FHP group: mean age 24.26±.98 years, mean height 165.80±1.69 cm, mean weight 61.66±1.52 kg) were classified into two groups (15 forward head posture and 15 normal subjects) whose used their own smartphone for 20 minutes. Cervical repositioning error (for flexion, extension, right and left rotation) was calculated for all subjects before and after use of smartphone. All statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics 24.

Position sense error for flexion in normal group had a significant difference before and after using the smartphone. However, there was no significant difference in FHP groups and between the two groups. There was no significant difference either in extension and left rotation before and after use of smartphone and between two groups. Position sense error for the right rotation before and after using the smartphone in two groups had no significant difference, but after using the smartphone there was significant difference between the two groups.

There were no significant differences in cervical repositioning error before and after use of smartphone in the normal group and FHP group as well as between the two groups.