CORRELATION BETWEEN FORWARD HEAD POSTURE, CERVICAL MUSCLES ENDURANCE, AND PROPRIOCEPTIVE FUCTIONS IN CERVICOGENIC HEADACHE AMONG LATE ADOLESCENT STUDENTS.

NCT07763886 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: Cervicogenic 22
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 100
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Forward Head Posture (FHP) is a common postural deviation characterized by anterior translation of the head relative to the trunk, which increases load on cervical muscles and joints. This postural change is associated with muscle fatigue, joint compression, and tension in cervical soft tissues, contributing to cervicogenic headache (Al-Mutairi et al., 20242; Koseoglu et al., 2023). The deep cervical flexor (DCF) muscles, especially the longus colli and longus capitis, are key stabilizers of the cervical spine, and weakness or fatigue of these muscles leads to overuse of superficial muscles such as the sternocleidomastoid and anterior scalene, creating an imbalance between deep and superficial systems. Diminished endurance of deep cervical flexors has been linked to forward head posture, impaired motor control, and persistent neck pain (Ismail et al., 2023). Cervical proprioception is crucial for accurate head position sense. Impaired cervical proprioception results in distorted information about head orientation, causing dizziness, incoordinated movement, and neck discomfort, and has been frequently observed in juniors with cervicogenic headache, increasing muscular strain and headache intensity. In the present study, therefore, we aim to investigate the correlation between FHP, cervical endurance, and proprioceptive function in junior students with cervicogenic headache

Conditions

Cervicogenic Headache

Keywords

Forward Head Posture; Headache; Cervicogenic headache

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Lateral photography

  B. Lateral photographic method: Photography or photogrammetric method will be used to assess FHP. It is a reliable and valid method (Gadotti and Biasotto-Gonzalez,2010). A digital imaging technique will be used to evaluate head and neck posture in the standing position. A digital camera (Canon IXY 12 MP, Japan) will be used to capture images supported on a Magnus PV-3310 photo tripod with 3-way pan and tilt head, was used to capture a photograph. (kuo et al., 2014). Digitized photographs will be analyzed using Kinovea 2024.1.1. This is open access software used to analyze digitized photos and to measure the various head angles (Guzman-Valdivia et al.,2013)

  Baseline

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• proprioception errors

  Baseline

• D. Stabilizer pressure biofeedback:

  Baseline

Study Arms (1)

study group

A. Headache screening questionnaire will be used to assess the presence and characteristics of cervicogenic headache in the students. B. Lateral photography method will be used to evaluate head posture in standing position, and Kinovea software will be used to analyze the digitized photos to measure the craniovertebral angle. C. Cervical Range of Motion device (CROM) will be used to assess the proprioceptive functions. D. Pressure biofeedback will be used to assess the endurance of the deep cervical flexor muscles.

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

The study will be conducted on fifty-six junior students diagnosed with cervicogenic headache associated with forward head posture. Patients were assigned based on the presence of FHP into two equal groups; Group I (with FHP) and Group II (without FHP). The sample size for this study was calculated using the G\*power program 3.1.9 (G power program version 3.1, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany). The fifty-six junior students diagnosed with cervicogenic headache effect size for the sample size calculation was depending on the previous study (Althubaiti, 2022). Sample size calculation based on t-tests (Means: Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test; two groups), Type I error (α) = 0.05, power (1-β error probability) = 0.80, effect size Effect size d = 0.8345487 with a total sample size for 50 participants for 2 independent groups comparison Considering a 15% drop out rate, the appropriate minimum sample size for this study will be 56 patients (28 patients in each group as a minimum

You may qualify if:

• Fifty-six junior students diagnosed with cervicogenic headache
• Sudents from both sexes will participate in this study.
• The students' ages will be ranged from 17 to 18 years.
• All participants will be referred from neurologists
• All participants will be free from any medical disease, visual or hearing problem.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with a history of cervical spine surgery.
• Patients with Whiplash injury..
• Patients with any vestibular disorders.
• Patients with visual and hearing impairments.
• Patients with diabetes mellitus.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Delta University for Science and Technology: lead

Study Sites (1)

Private Clinic

Cairo, Egypt

Location

Related Publications (1)

• van der Meer HA, Visscher CM, Engelbert RHH, Mulleners WM, Nijhuis-van der Sanden MWG, Speksnijder CM. Development and psychometric validation of the headache screening questionnaire - Dutch Version. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2017 Oct;31:52-61. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2017.07.001. Epub 2017 Jul 4.

  PMID: 28734169 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Post-Traumatic Headache; Headache

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Headache Disorders, Secondary; Headache Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Central Study Contacts

Ibrahim Abu Ella

CONTACT

+201008442281; ibrahimneuron@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Target Duration: 1 Month
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 9, 2026
• First Posted: August 13, 2026
• Study Start: August 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2026
• Last Updated: August 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

EG (1)