The effect of scapular posterior tilt exercise, pectoralis minor stretching, and shoulder brace on scapular alignment and muscles activity in subjects with round-shoulder posture

The Effects of an Exercise and Kinesiotape Intervention on Forward HeadRounded Shoulder Posture and Scapular Dyskinesis

“…23,27,32 Despite the recommended treatment protocol, mixed results on the effectiveness of a strengthening and stretching program for correcting FHP, RSP, and scapular dyskinesis is evident in the literature. Studies by Ruivo, 29 Gupta, 30 Burkhart, 23 and Lee 19 have indicated that an exercise protocol was effective in decreasing FHP, 29,30 RSP, 19 and scapular dyskinesis, 23 whereas Wong 31 noted no significant difference between the intervention and placebo group for correcting RSP.…”

“…[9][10][11]17,18 The tight anterior chest muscles and a weakened posterior thoracic muscles lead to RSP as the glenohumeral joint shifts anteriorly. 19,20 The anterior shift in the glenohumeral joint also occurs with the scapula, distorting the scapulohumeral rhythm. 21 The repetitive activities constantly overwork and cause a tightening of the pectoralis minor, sternocleidomastoid, and the upper trapezius, which may cause FHP and RSP.…”

“…21 The repetitive activities constantly overwork and cause a tightening of the pectoralis minor, sternocleidomastoid, and the upper trapezius, which may cause FHP and RSP. 16,19,22 A change in scapulohumeral rhythm is known as scapular dyskinesis and further SICK scapula. SICK is an acronym for scapular malposition, inferior medial border prominence, coracoid pain and malposition, and dyskinesia of scapular movement.…”

“…16,29,30 For RSP, muscles to be strengthened include the lower trapezius (LT) and serratus anterior (SA), while stretching the pectoralis minor (PM). 19,29,31 Due to the alteration in position of the scapula and the glenohumeral joint as well as the alteration in force couples above and below the scapula, 27,32 exercises to correct scapular dyskinesis are similar to the ones included for the treatment of FHP and RSP. In addition to the deep cervical flexors, LT, and SA, the scapula stabilizers should be strengthened while the posterior glenohumeral joint capsule, UT and PM are stretched.…”

“…While studies 16,19,23,27,[29][30][31][32] have shown the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of a strengthening and stretching exercise protocol for the correction of FHP, RSP, and scapular dyskinesis, those protocols are very time consuming for such chronic diseases and have limited effectiveness leading to non-compliance. Lee et al 19 has shown potential in the use of a shoulder brace as an effective means to correct the postural distortions over time. However, the findings were limited and additional research has suggested that kinesiotape, an elastic adhesive tape, may be able to stimulate sensory nerves in the form of proprioception, just as with the shoulder brace.…”