Correlation of Hamstring Tightness and Cervical Spine Dysfunction in Sedentary Lifestyle Individuals

Abstract

Background:

A sedentary lifestyle has grown more common in the modern world as a result of increased screen time, decreased physical exercise, and extended sitting. This lifestyle leads to muscular imbalances and postural dysfunctions. One such common issue is hamstring tightness, which can alter pelvic positioning and overall spinal alignment. Simultaneously, cervical spine dysfunctions such as forward head posture, reduced cervical mobility, and neck pain are also widely observed in sedentary individuals. Emerging evidence suggests that muscular tightness in the posterior chain, especially the hamstrings, may influence posture and biomechanical stress throughout the spine, including the cervical region. Therefore, understanding the correlation between hamstring flexibility and cervical spine dysfunction is essential for physiotherapists with the goal of creating successful intervention plans for sedentary individuals.

This study included thirty participants. Participants were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, representing individuals with a sedentary lifestyle. After institutional protocol and ethical committee approval, vide their letter no. KVV/ IEC/01/2025 dated January 23, 2025. This comparative study was performed in a sedentary lifestyle individual of Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth. The study’s main objective was to determine the Correlation of Hamstring tightness and cervical spine dysfunction in sedentary lifestyle individuals The results indicate a strong positive correlation between hamstring tightness, measured using the Active Knee Extension (AKE) test, and various cervical spine movements. The correlation coefficient (r) for cervical flexion was found to be 0.95023, demonstrating a very strong relationship. Similarly, cervical extension showed a strong correlation with an r-value of 0.8022754, and right side flexion had a correlation of 0.7865076. Among all movements, left side flexion exhibited the strongest correlation with an r-value of 0.9859801. Right and left cervical rotations also showed strong correlations, with r-values of 0.9335783 and 0.9233729 respectively. Every correlation was significant from a statistical view with a p-value < 0.001, indicating that the observed associations are highly unlikely to be due to chance. These findings support a significant relationship between hamstring flexibility and cervical spine mobility in individuals with a sedentary lifestyle.

Conclusion The study found a positive correlation between hamstring tightness and reduced cervical spine mobility in sedentary individuals. As hamstring flexibility decreased, cervical range of motion also reduced, especially in flexion and side flexion movements. This supports the concept of myofascial chain influence from lower to upper body. Assessing and addressing hamstring tightness may be important in managing cervical dysfunction