Prospective comparison of the effects of exercise and kinesio tape therapy modalities on static and dynamic balance scores in forward head posture

The aim of this study was to examine the improvements in the static and dynamic balance scores, craniovertebral angles, neck disability status, pain level, and quality of life in the patients admitted to the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic with neck pain, and diagnosed with forward head posture (FHP). This study, which has a single-center, randomized controlled clinical intervention study design, was conducted with 69 patients, aged 18-35, with FHP, who admitted to Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University Health Practice and Research Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation between April 2020 and December 2021. Initially, 75 patients were randomly assigned to three groups, as 25 individuals in each group. These groups were; (1) the control group in which no intervention was made, (2) the exercise group in which the exercise program was applied, and (3) the exercise-kinesio groups in which kinesio tape was applied in addition to the exercise. Craniovertebral angle (CVA), static and dynamic balance values , Modified Neck Disability Index (mNDI), Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Short Form-36 Quality of Life Scale (SF-36) were compared between the groups before and after the intervention. When compared to the control group, in both the exercise group and the exercise-kinesio group, according to the pre-intervention period compared to the post-intervention period; statistically significant improvements in CVA, dynamic balance, mNDI, VAS and SF-36 were found. In addition, it was found that the improvements in the VAS level and CVA were statistically significantly correlated with the improvements in the dynamic balance, mNDI and SF-36 subscales. However, it was found that improvement in mNDI leads to an increase in patients' quality of life. Exercise and exercise combined with kinesio taping methods provide improvements in quality of life in addition to clinical improvement in pain, CVA, dynamic balance and neck disability status in individuals with FHP.