The effects of clinical pilates exercise on pain, rom, posture, quality of life and body composition in individuals with forward head posture

Forward Head Posture is a postural disorder that is frequently seen in society, in which the head position is ahead of the body position. It is characterized by a decrease in the craniovertebral angle (CVA). In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of clinical pilates exercises on neck pain, cervical joint range of motion (ROM), body posture, quality of life and body composition in individuals with forward head posture. 36 participants aged 18-50 years were included in the study. Participants were randomly divided into 2 groups as clinical pilates group and home exercise group. In the clinical pilates group (n=18), while clinical pilates exercises were performed with a physiotherapist for 60 minutes, 2 days a week for 8 weeks, additional cervical stabilization exercises were given. Cervical stabilization exercises were given to the home exercise group (n=18) twice a day. Evaluations were repeated at the beginning and end of the study. Neck pain severity, ROM, body posture, quality of life and body composition, respectively; It was evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale, Universal Goniometer, New York Posture Rating Chart (NYPR), Short Form-36 Survey, and circumference measurements. Statistical analysis of the data was done with SPSS Statistics 29.0 program. As a result of the analysis, significant improvement was observed in the CVA, NYPR and VAS values in the groups, while the clinical pilates group showed significantly improvement than the home group (p<0.05). While there was an increase in ROM values in the groups, extension showed superiority in the home exercise group and left lateral flexion in the clinical pilates group (p<0.05). While there was no significant difference between the groups in quality of life values (p>0.05), a significant improvement in waist circumference was observed only in the clinical pilates group compared to the home group in body composition. As a result of the study, it was found that clinical pilates exercises improved CVA, neck pain and body posture in individuals with forward head posture, showed an increase in ROM values similar to cervical stabilization exercises, and it was determined that multifaceted approaches were needed in quality of life and body composition.