Running Ground Reaction Force Characteristics in Children with Forward Head Posture Compared to Healthy Control Ones

Document Type : Original article

Authors

1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Educational Science and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Allame Tabatabaii, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Background and Aims: Forward head posture is one of the most prevalent disorders in the cervical area. The objective of the present study was to investigate ground reaction force components during running in an able-bodied control group and in children with forward head posture.
Materials and Methods: A total of 28 male children including 16 healthy controls and 16 children with forward head posture participated in the current study. Two Kistler force platforms were used to record the ground reaction forces during barefoot running. Peak ground reaction force components, their time to peak, impulses in all axes, and peak positive and negative free moments were assessed. Independent sample t-test was used for between-group comparisons. The significance level was set at p<0.05.
Results: The findings indicated that running speed in children with forward head was smaller than that in control group (P<0.001). Time to peak for vertical (by 11.2%; medium effect size; P=0.035) and lateral (by 76.3%; large effect size; P=0.009) ground reaction force components in forward head group were greater than those in healthy group. Peak ground reaction force components and peak positive and negative free moment amplitudes were not found to be statistically different between the two groups (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Running speed in children with forward head posture was lower than that in healthy control group, while the peak ground reaction force components were similar to those in control group. This altered running speed and ground reaction forces are suggestive of a lower mechanical efficiency of running in children with forward head posture. Children with forward head posture need interventions such as sport exercises to reduce peak ground reaction force components and free moment values during running.

Keywords

Main Subjects


1.   de Morais Faria CDC, Teixeira-Salmela LF, de Paula Goulart FR, de Souza Moraes GF. Scapular muscular activity with shoulder impingement syndrome during lowering of the arms. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2008;18(2):130-6.##
2.   Yip CHT, Chiu TTW, Poon ATK. The relationship between head posture and severity and disability of patients with neck pain. Manual therapy. 2008;13(2):148-54. ##
3.   Griegel-Morris P, Larson K, Mueller-Klaus K, Oatis CA. Incidence of common postural abnormalities in the cervical, shoulder, and thoracic regions and their association with pain in two age groups of healthy subjects. Physical therapy. 1992;72(6):425-31. ##
4.   Williams R. Heads up on more reason your back hurts. Sports Medicine, November/December. 2006;8(2):119-22. ##
5.   Lynch SS, Thigpen CA, Mihalik JP, Prentice WE, Padua D. The effects of an exercise intervention on forward head and rounded shoulder postures in elite swimmers. British journal of sports medicine. 2010;44(5):376-81. ##
6.   Knight JF, Baber C. Effect of head-mounted displays on posture. Human factors. 2007;49(5):797-807. ##
7.   Balague F, Troussier B, Salminen J. Non-specific low back pain in children and adolescents: risk factors. European spine journal. 1999;8(6):429-38. ##
8.   Mulavara AP, Bloomberg JJ. Identifying head-trunk and lower limb contributions to gaze stabilization during locomotion. Journal of Vestibular Research. 2002;12(5, 6):255-69. ##
9.   Cromwell RL, Newton RA, Carlton LG. Horizontal plane head stabilization during locomotor tasks. Journal of motor behavior. 2001;33(1):49-58. ##
10. Keshner E, Cromwell R, Peterson B. Mechanisms controlling human head stabilization. II. Head-neck characteristics during random rotations in the vertical plane. Journal of neurophysiology. 1995;73(6):2302-12. ##
11. Pozzo T, Berthoz A, Lefort L. Head stabilization during various locomotor tasks in humans. Experimental brain research. 1990;82(1):97-106. ##
12. Grossman GE, Leigh RJ, Bruce EN, Huebner WP, Lanska DJ. Performance of the human vestibuloocular reflex during locomotion. Journal of Neurophysiology. 1989;62(1):264-72. ##
13. Farahpour N, Jafarnezhad A, Damavandi M, Bakhtiari A, Allard P. Gait ground reaction force characteristics of low back pain patients with pronated foot and able-bodied individuals with and without foot pronation. Journal of biomechanics. 2016;49(9):1705-10. ##
14. Stacoff A, Diezi C, Luder G, Stüssi E, Kramers-de Quervain IA. Ground reaction forces on stairs: effects of stair inclination and age. Gait & posture. 2005;21(1):24-38. ##
15. Liikavainio T, Bragge T, Hakkarainen M, Karjalainen PA, Arokoski JP. Gait and muscle activation changes in men with knee osteoarthritis. The Knee. 2010;17(1):69-76. ##
16. Cheung RT, Davis IS. Landing pattern modification to improve patellofemoral pain in runners: a case series. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2011;41(12):914-9. ##
17. Pohl MB, Hamill J, Davis IS. Biomechanical and anatomic factors associated with a history of plantar fasciitis in female runners. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2009;19(5):372-6. ##
18. Holden JP, Cavanagh PR. The free moment of ground reaction in distance running and its changes with pronation. Journal of biomechanics. 1991;24(10):887891-9897. ##
19. Lim J, Busa MA, Van Emmerik RE, Hamill J. Adaptive changes in running kinematics as a function of head stability demands and their effect on shock transmission. Journal of biomechanics. 2017;52:122-9. ##
20. Hamill J, Knutzen KM. Biomechanical basis of human movement: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2006. ##
21. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang A-G, Buchner A. G* Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior research methods. 2007;39(2):175-91. ##
22. Salahzadeh Z, Maroufi N, Ahmadi A, Behtash H, Razmjoo A, Gohari M, et al. Assessment of forward head posture in females: observational and photogrammetry methods. Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation. 2014;27(2):131-9. ##
23. van Niekerk S-M, Louw Q, Vaughan C, Grimmer-Somers K, Schreve K. Photographic measurement of upper-body sitting posture of high school students: a reliability and validity study. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. 2008;9(1):113. ##
24. Almosnino S, Kajaks T, Costigan PA. The free moment in walking and its change with foot rotation angle. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 2009;1(1):19. ##
25. Cohen J. Statistical power analysis for the behavior science. Lawrance Eribaum Association. 1988. ##
26. Perry S, Lafortune M. Influences of inversion/eversion of the foot upon impact loading during locomotion. Clinical Biomechanics. 1995;10(5):253-7. ##
27. Eslami M, Begon M, Hinse S, Sadeghi H, Popov P, Allard P. Effect of foot orthoses on magnitude and timing of rearfoot and tibial motions, ground reaction force and knee moment during running. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2009;12(6):679-84. ##
28. Harman K, Hubley-Kozey CL, Butler H. Effectiveness of an exercise program to improve forward head posture in normal adults: a randomized, controlled 10-week trial. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy. 2005;13(3):163-76. ##
29. Jafarnezhadgero AA, Majlesi M, Azadian E. Gait ground reaction force characteristics in deaf and hearing children. Gait & Posture. 2017;53:236-40. ##
30. Willwacher S, Eglitits S, Heinrich K, Sanno M, Brüggemann G, editors. Transversal plane whole body angular momentum control in straight running. Proceedings of the International Calgary Running Symposium; 2014. ##
Volume 7, Issue 4
January and February 2019
Pages 217-226
  • Receive Date: 04 December 2017
  • Revise Date: 04 March 2018
  • Accept Date: 28 March 2018
  • First Publish Date: 22 December 2018