Dry Needling Effects of the Upper Trapezius Muscle on the Angles and Range of Motion of the Neck in Individuals with Forward Head Posture

Forward head posture (FHP) is one of the most common positional deviations. Frequent users often exhibit incorrect posture because of the rising popularity of media devices, such as smartphones and computers. This posture leads to changes in muscle activity in cervical flexion and extension. It is defined by hyperextension of the upper cervical vertebrae and forward translation of the cervical vertebrae. This study evaluates the effect of dry needles as a new method in the upper trapezius muscle on the neck’s angles and range of motion (ROM) in individuals with FHP.

In this quasi-experimental interventional study, 18 women with FHP underwent a dry needle session. The photogrammetry of the cranio-vertebral angle measured the degree of FHP. Visual analog scale (VAS), pain pressure threshold (PPT), cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) and cranio-horizontal angles (CHA), ROM, scapular index (SI), and forward shoulder translation (FST) were assessed before and after the intervention.

The results demonstrated that after the intervention, right and left PPT, flexion, and proper neck rotation, right and left SI, CVA, and CHA were significantly improved (P<0.05).

The results showed that one session of dry needling with stretching exercises intervention could improve PPT, ROM, SI, CVA, and CHA and consequently improve FHP.