Abstract

Background: An adequate seated position may relieve and prevent many of cervical or lumbar pains. The long lasting seated positions are likely to result in non-physiological ranges of motion, which can be considered a risk factor for lumbar and cervical pain. The aim of the study was to quantify and compare different body angles modified by placing a five-centimetre diameter support to restrain pelvic retroversion in young adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study was designed and 94 patients were recruited (26 male and 68 female). The assessment of posture was made by photogrammetry in sagittal plane in the sitting and corrected sitting positions. The neck slope (NS),upper cervical (UC),lower cervical (LC), thoracic spine (TS), lumbar spine (LS) and pelvic plane (PP) angles were analysed computationally with 2D software. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS 20.0 software for Windows. Results: The mean age of participants was 26.6 (±13.24) years. There were significant differences in the medial angles of the cervical, dorsal and lumbar spine in the normal position, as compared to the corrected position (p<0.01). Moreover, there was a significant inverse weak correlation between NS and LS angles versus sitting hours (p<0.05).Conclusion: The use of a five-centimetre support under the ischial tuberosities restrains pelvic retroversion by modifying all spine angles, improving the position with less lumbar flexion and decreasing the forward-head posture when compared with sitting without the support.

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