Immediate effect of forward head rounded shoulder posture corrective orthosis on craniovertebral and protraction-retraction angles

Introduction: Forward head posture, which occurs often in conjunction with increased curvature in the upper body and rounded shoulder, is one of the most common postural deviations. Over time, this poor posture can contribute to the development of neck pain and shoulder dysfunction. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to design and develop a forward head rounded shoulder posture corrective orthosis (FHRSO) and its immediate effect on craniovertebral and protraction-retraction angles in people with postural deviations in the upper body. Materials and Methods: Thirty men aged between 18 and 60 years with a forward head posture disorder (craniovertebral angle less than 42.5 degrees) participated in this study. Correspondingly, the immediate effect of the newly designed orthosis, namely FHRSO was investigated via measuring two variables, craniovertebral and protraction-retraction angles in the standing position by taking lateral view photographs. Results: Both craniovertebral and protraction-retraction angles were significantly increased following the FHRSO wearing in comparison with no orthosis condition (P<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that a FHRSO orthosis can be effective for correcting the forward head and rounded shoulder posture in persons with postural deviations in the upper body.