Prevalence of Postural Neck Pain Among Under -graduate Female Students of BIHS Islamabad

Abstract

Background: Postural neck pain is a prevalent condition characterized by neck discomfort, occurring in the absence of notable tissue damage or trauma. Individuals afflicted by this condition typically encounter an ache or pain when engaging in activities that impose prolonged stress on normal tissue. Poor posture is often the root cause of strained neck muscles, leading to the manifestation of neck pain. Moreover, it is important to recognize that neck pain can also serve as an indication of more severe underlying issues. In particular, the combination of poor posture and age-related wear and tear has been found to be associated with neck pain Objective: The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of postural neck pain among undergraduate female students of BIHS Islamabad. Material & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using demographic data, Numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), Occiput to wall distance (OWD) test and Neck disability index (NDI) to determine the prevalence of postural neck pain among undergraduate female students. The study participants were the female students of BIHS, age between 18 to 30 years. Data collection tools used were numeric pain rating scale for pain variable and Neck Disability Index for assessing the restrictions in daily activities due to neck pain. Data was analyzed through Frequency Tables in SPSS version 21. Results: The present study showed the prevalence of postural Neck pain among undergraduate students of BIHS Islamabad based on analysis. This study included 115 participants within an age range of 15 to 30 years. 65 (56.52%) out of 115 participants suffered postural neck pain. The maximum of the participants was from the age group of 18 to 20 years and the most adopted posture from the participants for study purpose was sitting that was 104 (90.4%) following the lying posture 11 (9.6%). Numeric pain rating scale revealed that maximum of the participants 50 (43.5%) had moderate amount of pain following the mild pain that was 49 (42.6%). The responses from the neck disability index questionnaire showed that 73 (63.5%) participants had mild neck disability following moderate disability that was 33 (28.7). Conclusion: This study serves as a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge, elucidating the distressing prevalence of postural neck pain and its detrimental effects on the functional capacities and overall quality of life of female undergraduate students.