Prevalence of Upper Cross Syndrome and Associated Neck Pain in Lecturers of Private Sector Universities in Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

Upper cross syndrome (UCS) is significantly increased in today's population, especially in lecturers. The condition presents as a posture difficulty caused by hyperactive pectoralis and upper trapezius muscles. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and related risk factors of upper cross syndrome, as well as its relationship with neck discomfort in the lecturers of private sector universities of Peshawar, Pakistan. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on lecturers of private universities in Peshawar, Pakistan. Lecturers having experience of one year or more, both male and female, willing to give informed consent, and lecturers having ages ranging from 25-to 60 years were included. Lecturers having a history of upper body trauma, a history of postural structure deformity, and occupational computer users were excluded. A total of 131 participants were included in the study, 90 participants (68%) were male and 41 (31%) were female. In 56 (42.7%) participants had UCS and the remaining 75 (57.3%) were normal. On the basis of discomfort or pain 57 (43.5%) participants reported having minor neck pain, 53 (40.5%) reported having mild neck pain and 21 (16%) reported severe pain. In conclusion, this study highlights the significant prevalence of UCS among university lecturers in Peshawar's private sector universities, approximately half of the participants were affected by the UCS. P-Value 0.817 shows that there is a weak correlation between UCS and neck discomfort, as evidenced by 43.5% of participants reporting minor neck discomfort and 40.5% experiencing mild neck pain. These results show that postural issues related to UCS are a considerable concern within this population.