Effects of Alexander Technique in Children With Upper Cross Syndrome.

NCT07248748 | Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: REC/RCR&AHS/SHANZACHAUDHARY
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized clinical trial will involve 50 participants aged 13 to 16, recruited from Faisal Hospital Faisalabad and different schools nearby. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the Alexander Technique group, which will include home-based exercises supervised by parents, or a control group performing traditional posture-corrective exercises. The outcomes will be measured using tools such as the Cranio-Vertebral Angle (CVA), Shoulder Protraction Measurement (SPM), Thoracic Kyphotic Angle (TKA), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. The findings are expected to provide insights into the benefits of the Alexander Technique as a therapeutic strategy for addressing UCS and improving overall health outcomes in adolescents. Data collection will be done before and after the intervention. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 26.00.

Conditions

CHILD Syndrome

Keywords

Upper Cross Syndrome, Alexander Technique

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Cranio-vertebral angle (CVA)

  Cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) is the most widely known measurement method used to determine how forward the head is tilted in a person in FHP. For CVA measurement, the digital camera (Canon 650D, Canon, Japan) was fixed and mounted at a distance of 1m, and the side of the subject was photographed, for accurate measurement of CVA, a plumb line suspended from the ceiling was allowed to descend directly next to the subject.Subjects were instructed to stand comfortably with both arms relaxed on the side of the trunk and maintain a natural head posture. CVA was defined as the angle between the horizontal line and the line from the spinous process of the seventh cervical vertebra to the ear tragus. The CV angle means that the smaller the angle, the greater the flexion of the lower cervical spine

  8 weeks

• Shoulder Protraction Measurement (SPM)

  The complexity of these combined motions as well as the thick surrounding soft tissues present challenges to accurate angular measurement of scapular motion. However, observing these scapular motions superiorly provides a perspective of the superficial acromion as an indicator of scapular position relative to the medial superior angle and therein may lie the opportunity for goniometric assessment.

  8 weeks

• Thoracic Kyphotic Angle (TKA)

  The thoracic kyphotic angle (TKA) is defined as the angle formed by the intersection of two lines drawn along the superior endplate of the uppermost thoracic vertebra and the inferior endplate of the lowermost thoracic vertebra. This angle is crucial for assessing spinal alignment and postural abnormalities.

  8 weeks

• Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)

  VAS is widely used as a measure of pain intensity in globally. It has been shown that VAS is valid, reliable and interval scale. VAS has high testretest reliability and repeatability. In this VAS, it has a continuous scale consist of a horizontal and vertical line that called vertical VAS and horizontal visual analog scale.

  8 weeks

Study Arms (2)

GROUP A

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

control group

Other: Corrective exercises

GROUP B

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

interventional group

Other: Alexander technique

Interventions

Alexander technique OTHER

In the AT group, parents will supervise the patients exercises at home base on the explanations and training the corrective movements specialist provided in the first session. In the AT group, adolescents were taught the considerations and habits they should remember and focus on daily basis. These included teaching ergonomic considerations and individual postural habits during daily activities such as standing, walking, sitting, sleeping, reading, using a computer, and other repetitive and continuous activities performed during the day.

GROUP B

Corrective exercises OTHER

The Corrective exercises will be done in home base setting, and the corrective movements' specialist will be responsible for supervising their performance twice a week. Selected CE will designed to correct posture and address the mentioned abnormalities through stretching exercises for shortened muscles and strengthening exercises for individuals with weak muscles. These exercises will include a 5-10-minute warm-up followed by stretching exercises for the chest, hip- flexor-psoas, upper trapezius, intercostal muscles, upper neck extensors, and then strengthening exercises for the shoulder protractors, deep neck flexors, lower neck extensors, and thoracic spine extensors

GROUP A

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 16 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• Age between 13 -16
• School going children

You may not qualify if:

• Participants with signs of:
• Fractures
• Surgeries
• Joint problems
• Injuries in the spine
• Skeletal-muscular imbalances
• Lower limb cross syndrome abnormal BMI participants engaging in regular physical activity for at least 6 h per week

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Muhammad Asif Javed

Lahore, Punjab Province, 54900, Pakistan

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• O'Neill MM, Anderson DI, Allen DD, Ross C, Hamel KA. Effects of Alexander Technique training experience on gait behavior in older adults. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2015 Jul;19(3):473-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2014.12.006. Epub 2015 Jan 7.

  PMID: 26118520 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Congenital Hemidysplasia with Ichthyosiform Erythroderma and Limb Defects; Oculocerebral hypopigmentation syndrome type Preus

Study Officials

• Shanza Chaudhary, MS-PT

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Imran Amjad, PhD

CONTACT

9233224390125; imran.amjad@riphah.edu.pk

Muhammad Asif Javed, MS-PT

CONTACT

923224209422; a.javed@riphah.edu.pk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: Participants will get separate treatment protocols and possible efforts will be put to mask the both group about the treatment.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This randomized clinical trial will involve 50 participants aged 13 to 16, recruited from Faisal Hospital Faisalabad and different schools nearby. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the Alexander Technique group, which will include home-based exercises supervised by parents, or a control group performing traditional posture-corrective exercises. The outcomes will be measured using tools such as the Cranio-Vertebral Angle (CVA), Shoulder Protraction Measurement (SPM), Thoracic Kyphotic Angle (TKA), and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain assessment. The findings are expected to provide insights into the benefits of the Alexander Technique as a therapeutic strategy for addressing UCS and improving overall health outcomes in adolescents. Data collection will be done before and after the intervention. Data will be analyzed through SPSS version 26.00.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Posted: November 25, 2025
• Study Start: October 28, 2025
• Primary Completion: January 25, 2026
• Study Completion: January 30, 2026
• Last Updated: November 25, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)