Abstract
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)
Introduction: In this day and age, a large portion of the population spends a lot of time
sitting at a desk or in front of a computer. This prolonged sitting position can result in
rounded shoulders and an anterior head carriage posture which can lead to a condition
called Upper Crossed Syndrome. Upper Crossed Syndrome is a very common muscle
imbalance syndrome that involves two groups of muscles, one group being weak and
the other group being tight. The group of muscles that is tight or hypertonic consists of
the upper trapezius, pectoralis major and levator scapulae. The group of muscles that is
weak consists of the rhomboids, serratus anterior, middle and lower trapezius and the
deep neck flexors, especially the scalene muscles. This imbalance in the muscle activity
adds unnecessary stress and strain onto the neck and surrounding structures, which
can result in neck pain. This pain can affect a person’s daily functioning and could
become a chronic condition.
The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of spinal manipulative therapy
versus SpiderTech™ therapy and the combination thereof in the treatment of Upper
Crossed Syndrome. The benefits of this study could be the confirmation that the use of
Spinal Manipulative Therapy of the cervical and upper thoracic spine, together with the
use of SpiderTech™ therapy, is beneficial in the treatment of Upper Crossed Syndrome.
The study could also contribute more evidence on the efficacy of SpiderTech™ therapy
in the treatment of muscle imbalance syndromes, as well as providing evidence on
whether spinal manipulative therapy alone is an effective treatment for this condition.
Method: A selection of 30 participants, males and females between the ages of 18 and
50, were recruited and then randomly placed into three different groups. All participants
presented with neck pain and poor posture. Participants that met the inclusion criteria
were assigned into one of the three groups. Each group consisted of 10 participants.
Participants were assigned to their group by randomly drawing a number from a hat.
The hat contained 30 pieces of paper, 10 of which were labelled with the number one,
10 with the number two and the remaining 10 with the number three. These numbers
represented the group number that the participants were in. Group one only received
spinal manipulative therapy to the cervical and upper thoracic spine. Group two only
received application of the SpiderTech™ Postural Spider tape. Group three received a...