Effect of scapular strengthening exercises on rounded shoulder and neck disability among college students of Delhi NCR

Abstract

As a result of COVID-19 illness epidemic, a worldwide health emergency has been proclaimed. The educational sector, whose old systems have been replaced by online educational systems, was particularly impacted by the state of lockdown. Prolonged and frequent sitting in front of monitors, which, by maintaining the same posture for an extended period of time, causes cumulative trauma disorder. The purpose was to evaluate effect of four-week scapular strengthening exercises on neck disability and scapular position in subjects with rounded shoulders. In this experimental study, 30 college students between ages of 18 and 22 were enrolled. They were randomly divided into two groups, the Experimental group and the Control group, each having 15 participants. The experimental group received scapular strengthening exercises along with conventional treatment whereas the control group received conventional treatment only. Over the course of four weeks, both groups received training sessions three times a week. The neck impairment and scapular position were assessed before and after intervention. Both groups had made considerable improvements, although the experimental group experienced less pain and had a better scapular posture than the control group. Results demonstrated that the experimental group outperformed the control group statistically in terms of improvement in neck disability and rounded shoulder posture.