Efficacy of physical therapy on cervical muscle activity and on body posture in school-age mouth breathing children.
BACKGROUND
The mouth breathing resulting from nasal obstruction has been highly incident, mostly as a consequence of allergic rhinitis. In children, such condition is more concerned because it causes alteration during their development, which may generate deformities.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of a program of combined postural exercise and breathing, on the cervical muscles and body posture in school-age mouth breathing children.


METHODS
Nineteen mouth breathing children, mean age of 10.6 years, both genders, were recruited either from a public school or from a speech-therapy service. The evaluation procedures were electromyographic recordings from the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), sub-occipitals (SOC) and upper trapezius (UT) muscles and computerized photographic analysis pre and post-treatment. The subjects were submitted to a 12-week of a Physical Therapy Program (PTP) consisted by (a) muscular stretching and strengthening exercises using a Swiss ball combined to (b) naso-diaphragmatic re-education.


RESULTS
There was a significant reduction (p<0.05) in the electrical activity on the assessed muscles during quiet position (5, 19 and 7.1% to 3, 2 and 10.3% for SCM, SOC and UT, respectively) and aligned posture (7, 19 and 8% to 4, 9 and 2.6% for SCM, SOC and UT, respectively) after treatment. Improvement in the postural deviation, especially reduction in forward head posture and abducted scapula were demonstrated in the computerized photographic analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
A combination of postural and breathing exercises was effective in restoring muscle imbalances and posture in a group of school-age mouth breathing children, as measured by changes in electrical activity and positional data.
Corrêa
Eliane C R
EC
Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Bérzin
Fausto
F
D002648:Child; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D009058:Mouth Breathing / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011187:Posture; D016896:Treatment Outcome