Postural Awareness, Postural Habits, and Clinical Practice of Upper Crossed Syndrome in Physiotherapy Students

PREETI TULARAM GAYAKWAD; Aishwarya Kanhere

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.89198

Postural Awareness, Postural Habits, and Clinical Practice of Upper Crossed Syndrome in Physiotherapy Students

Author(s)	Ms. PREETI TULARAM GAYAKWAD, Dr. Aishwarya Kanhere
Country	India
Abstract	Upper Crossed Syndrome (UCS) is a pattern of musculoskeletal imbalance characterised by tightness of the upper trapezius, levator scapulae and pectoral muscles together with weakness of the deep neck flexors, lower trapezius and serratus anterior. Physiotherapy students are exposed to prolonged sitting, extensive digital-device use and academic and clinical workload, all of which are recognised risk factors for UCS, yet it is unclear whether their professional knowledge of posture translates into personal postural habits and structured clinical practice. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 100 physiotherapy students (3rd year, 4th year and interns) in Pune city using a self-made, expert-validated questionnaire comprising a 12-item Postural Awareness scale (1-7 Likert format), 8 dichotomous items on postural habits, and 8 dichotomous items on clinical practice related to UCS. The composite Postural Awareness score (mean 41.49 out of 84; Cronbach's alpha = 0.872) indicated moderate self-awareness. A majority of students reported unfavourable habits, including forward head posture while studying (76%), habitual slouching (68%) and carrying bags on one shoulder (65%). While 84% of students had clinically encountered forward head posture or rounded shoulders, only 30% had specifically assessed a patient for UCS and only 50% felt confident managing it. One-way ANOVA showed that Clinical Practice scores increased significantly with academic seniority (F = 7.404, p = 0.001), whereas Postural Awareness (p = 0.885) and Postural Habits (p = 0.321) did not differ across year groups. It is concluded that physiotherapy students possess only moderate postural self-awareness and a persistent gap between general clinical exposure and structured, confident management of UCS, and that this gap is not resolved by curriculum progression alone. Dedicated postural-ergonomic education and standardised UCS-screening protocols are recommended from the early years of physiotherapy training.
Keywords	Upper Crossed Syndrome, Postural Awareness, Postural Habits, Physiotherapy Students, Clinical Practice
Field	Medical / Pharmacy
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-10-11
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i05.89198

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Postural Awareness, Postural Habits, and Clinical Practice of Upper Crossed Syndrome in Physiotherapy Students

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