Effect of Forward Head Posture on Temporomandibular Joint Proprioception in Postmenopausal Women: An observational study | ||||
| Benha International Journal of Physical Therapy | ||||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 August 2025 PDF (593.73 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/bijpt.2025.380683.1087 | ||||
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| Authors | ||||
Rovan M. Elbesh   1; Wafaa Atef Abd Allah 2; Manal Ahmed El-Shafei 3; Reda Sayed Ashour4
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| 1Department of Physical Therapy for Women's Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Department of Physical Therapy for Diseases and Surgeries of the Musculoskeletal System, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Misr University for Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 3Department of Physical Therapy for Women’s Health, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 4Department of Biomechanics, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Forward head position (FHP) is a common postural variation that might harm cervical and craniofacial biomechanics. Age-related hormonal changes and anatomical abnormalities increase the susceptibility of postmenopausal women to postural variation and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems. Purpose: To determine joint position error (JPE) during mandibular motions to examine the effect of FHP on TMJ proprioceptive function in postmenopausal women. Methods: Postmenopausal women with and without FHP participated in an observational study. Under both open-eye and closed-eye situations, the accuracy of TMJ repositioning was evaluated in four mandibular movement directions: right and left lateral deviation, protrusion, and mouth opening. The groups' JPE levels were compared. Results: The FHP group's JPE was significantly higher than the controls' in every direction. The mouth opening error (mean ± SD) for the FHP group was 7.33 ± 3.96 mm for open eyes and 8.78 ± 4.95 mm for closed eyes, compared to 1.67 ± 1.06 mm and 2.52 ± 1.33 mm for the controls. The patterns of lateral deviation and protrusion were similar. Deficits in proprioception were more obvious when the eyes were closed. Conclusion: FHP significantly impairs TMJ proprioception in postmenopausal women. These findings underscore the importance of postural assessment and modification in managing temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in this population | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Forward head posture; Joint position sense; Postmenopausal; Postural balance; Proprioception; Temporomandibular joint disorders | ||||
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