Differences in upper limb neural mechanosensitivity between young adults with and without forward head posture

Vollständiger Abstract

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Background: Prolonged electronic device use is linked to forward head posture (FHP), which may increase neural mechanosensitivity and risk of upper limb neural dysfunction in young adults. Most research focuses on painful FHP with neural mechanosensitivity, which may obscure the true effects of FHP. Objective: To compare neural mechanosensitivity and cervical range of motion (CROM) between asymptomatic young adults with and without FHP, and examine correlations of neural mechanosensitivity across upper limb nerves. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 66 university students (aged 18–25 years) who used electronic devices for more than 6 h daily. Participants were grouped by craniovertebral angle (CVA) into two categories: FHP ([Formula: see text]) and non-FHP ([Formula: see text]). Pain pressure threshold (PPT) and neurodynamic testing (NDT) were assessed bilaterally for the median, radial, and ulnar nerves. CROM was measured in all directions of cervical movement. Results: The FHP group showed significantly lower PPT in both ulnar nerves ([Formula: see text]) with moderate effect sizes and reduced right shoulder abduction during ulnar nerve NDT at the initial pain limit (P1). No significant differences in CROM were found between groups. Strong bilateral correlations existed in PPT measurements across all nerves. Conclusion: Asymptomatic young adults with FHP exhibit increased ulnar nerve mechanosensitivity, indicating a potential risk for nerve impairment even in the absence of symptoms. Early detection and intervention may help prevent neuromuscular complications in this population. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.