Effects of Corrective Exercise Combined with Different Taping Applications on Muscle Tone, Head Posture, and Postural Reproduction Ability in Adults with Forward Head Posture

Objective: This study aimed to compare the immediate effects of elastic and non-elastic taping combined with chin tuck exercise on muscle tone, cervical alignment, and head repositioning accuracy (HRA) in adults with forward head posture (FHP). Design: A randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-test design. Methods: Fifty-one participants aged 20–50 years with FHP (craniovertebral angle ≤ 50"‹) were randomly allocated into three groups: elastic taping＋chin tuck exercise (EG I, n＝17), non-elastic taping＋chin tuck exercise (EG II, n＝17), and chin tuck exercise only (CG, n＝17). Interventions were applied in one session (10 min). Outcome measures included muscle tone (upper trapezius, Hz), cervical alignment (craniovertebral angle, CVA), and head repositioning accuracy (HRA). Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA, with post hoc Bonferroni correction. Results: A significant group "~ time interaction was observed for upper trapezius muscle tone: the elastic-taping plus chin-tuck group showed a greater reduction than both the rigid-taping group and the exercise-only control. Craniovertebral angle improved from pre- to post-intervention in all groups without between-group differences. Head repositioning accuracy also improved over time across groups, and no group"~time interaction was detected. Conclusions: Chin tuck exercise effectively improved cervical alignment and head repositioning accuracy in individuals with FHP. Elastic taping provided an additional short-term benefit in reducing upper trapezius muscle tone, while non-elastic taping did not demonstrate significant immediate effects. These findings suggest that elastic taping may serve as a useful adjunct to exercise in managing FHP.