NCT07780396

Brief Summary

This study investigates the effects of specific corrective exercises on EMG of masticatory and cervical muscles in individuals with forward head posture. The study's design will be a retrospective, double- blinded, randomized controlled trial. The participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups: the exercise group and the control group. The training groups will perform a program consisting of two strengthening (deep cervical flexors and shoulder retractors) and two stretchings (cervical extensors and pectoral muscles) exercises. This exercise program will be repeated 4 times per week for 10 weeks, and each session lasted 30 minutes. The pre/post assessment of forward head posture will measure by using craniovertebral angle CVA. While the muscle activity EMG of the masseter, temporalis, splenius, upper trapezius, and SCM will measure pre and post-assessment using a biopic data acquisition system.

Trial Health

77
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
60

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for not_applicable

Timeline
1mo left

Started May 2026

Shorter than P25 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress84%
May 2026Oct 2026

Study Start

First participant enrolled

May 15, 2026

Completed
3 months until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

August 19, 2026

Completed
2 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

August 21, 2026

Completed
2 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

October 15, 2026

Expected
15 days until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

October 30, 2026

Last Updated

August 21, 2026

Status Verified

August 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

5 months

First QC Date

August 19, 2026

Last Update Submit

August 19, 2026

Conditions

Forward Head Posture

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • EMG activity

    Electrodes will be placed on the muscle belly parallel to the direction of muscle fibers. The distance between the two electrodes was 2 cm. The subjects will be instructed to complete maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of clenching the teeth for a period of 3 s and repeated twice. The average of the two trials of MVC will be used for further analysis. The subjects will be seated comfortably in a chair (---cm height).

    10 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • craniovertebral angle

    10 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Specific strengthening and stretching exercise

EXPERIMENTAL
Other: Specific strengthening and stretching exercise

General exercises

ACTIVE COMPARATOR
Other: General Exercise

Interventions

Specific strengthening and stretching exerciseOTHER

The program consisted of two strengthening (deep cervical flexors and shoulder retractors) and two stretching (cervical extensors and pectoral muscles) exercises based on Harman and Mostafa et al's approach. This exercise program will be repeated 4 times per week for 10 weeks, and each session lasted for 30 minutes.

Specific strengthening and stretching exercise
General ExerciseOTHER

The program will consist of regular general postural exercises such as postural awareness exercises as well as general strengthening exercises such as range of motion exercises for the upper quadrant. The program will also be repeated 4 times per week for 10 weeks, with each session lasting 30 minutes

General exercises

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years - 30 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersNo
Age GroupsAdult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • \. Participants aged 18- 30 years. 2. Presence of forward head posture, defined as CVA of less than 50° with no symptoms of neck pain \[18, 19\]. 3. No treatment for TMD or cervical symptoms (e.g., medication, physical therapy, or intra-articular injection) within the previous 2 weeks.

You may not qualify if:

  • \. Current or previous diagnosis of temporomandibular disorder (TMD), or the presence of TMD-related signs or symptoms (e.g., joint sounds, restricted mouth opening, or orofacial pain) during screening.
  • \. History of TMJ subluxation or dislocation that could interfere with mouth opening.
  • \. History of recent head or neck trauma. 4. Angle Class II or Class III malocclusion. 5. Postural abnormalities secondary to structural spinal deformities (e.g., scoliosis or kyphosis), rheumatic diseases, or other medical conditions affecting posture.
  • \. Missing posterior teeth, recent orthodontic treatment (within the previous 12 months), or dental restorations that altered occlusion.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Physical therapy outpatient clinic

Beirut, Lebanon

RECRUITING

Related Publications (6)

  • Kim SD. Effects of yoga exercises for headaches: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Jul;27(7):2377-80. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.2377. Epub 2015 Jul 22.

    PMID: 26311986RESULT

  • Lee SM, Lee CH, O'Sullivan D, Jung JH, Park JJ. Clinical effectiveness of a Pilates treatment for forward head posture. J Phys Ther Sci. 2016 Jul;28(7):2009-13. doi: 10.1589/jpts.28.2009. Epub 2016 Jul 29.

    PMID: 27512253RESULT

  • Quek J, Pua YH, Clark RA, Bryant AL. Effects of thoracic kyphosis and forward head posture on cervical range of motion in older adults. Man Ther. 2013 Feb;18(1):65-71. doi: 10.1016/j.math.2012.07.005. Epub 2012 Sep 5.

    PMID: 22959228RESULT

  • Lee KJ, Han HY, Cheon SH, Park SH, Yong MS. The effect of forward head posture on muscle activity during neck protraction and retraction. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Mar;27(3):977-9. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.977. Epub 2015 Mar 31.

    PMID: 25931773RESULT

  • Zabihhosseinian M, Holmes MW, Ferguson B, Murphy B. Neck muscle fatigue alters the cervical flexion relaxation ratio in sub-clinical neck pain patients. Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2015 Jun;30(5):397-404. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2015.03.020. Epub 2015 Mar 27.

    PMID: 25843481RESULT

  • Shaghayegh Fard B, Ahmadi A, Maroufi N, Sarrafzadeh J. Evaluation of forward head posture in sitting and standing positions. Eur Spine J. 2016 Nov;25(11):3577-3582. doi: 10.1007/s00586-015-4254-x. Epub 2015 Oct 17.

    PMID: 26476717RESULT

Central Study Contacts

Ahmed M Elsayed, PhD

CONTACT

00201027943622ahmed.elmelhat@cu.edu.eg

Ahmed El-Melhat, PhD

CONTACT

0096181437072a.melhat@bau.edu.lb

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
DOUBLE
Who Masked
PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
TREATMENT
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Assist.Prof

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

August 19, 2026

First Posted

August 21, 2026

Study Start

May 15, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 15, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 30, 2026

Last Updated

August 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-08

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

Any study records that identify patient will be kept confidential. The records from the participation may be reviewed by people responsible for making sure that research is done properly, including members of the BAU Institutional Review Board. All of these people are required to keep their identities confidential. Otherwise, records that identify patients will be available only to people working on the study. • The investigators will use a code of numbers and alphabets rather than participants' names on data sheets, keeping records in a safe place.

Locations

LE(1)