1Department of Musculoskeletal Sciences, Krishna College of Physiotherapy, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Deemed to Be University, Karad. Email: charvipitambare03@gmail.com; ORCID: 0009-0004-5767-9496
2Professor, HOD, Department of Oncologic Physiotherapy, Krishna College of Physiotherapy, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Deemed to Be University, Karad. Email: drtruptiwarude@gmail.com; ORCID: 0000-0002-6113-274X
3Professor, HOD, Department of Physiology, Krishna College of Physiotherapy, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Deemed to Be University, Karad. Email: anandjoshikarad@yahoo.com; ORCID: 0000-0001-8144-8621
Corresponding Author: Dr. Trupti Yadav, Professor, HOD, Department of Oncologic Physiotherapy, Krishna College of Physiotherapy, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth, Deemed to Be University, Karad. Email: drtruptiwarude@gmail.com
Background: This study investigated the influence of Text Neck Posture (TNP) on the bioelectrical activity of the superficial masseter and anterior temporalis muscles during mastication in young adults. The purpose was to compare the muscular effort between individuals with and without TNP while chewing two textured foods (soft bread and hard carrot) during mobile phone use. The principal conclusion is that TNP necessitates a compensatory physiological adjustment, leading to increased muscular effort during function.
Methods: A total of 140 young adults were categorized into Text Neck Posture (Craniovertebral Angle, CVA 35°–49°) and Non-TNP (≥50°) groups via 2D photogrammetry. Surface Electromyography (sEMG) was used to record the mean amplitude and duration of the masticatory muscles bilaterally while participants performed the chewing task. The ethical approval for undertaking the proposed study has been obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Karad, Maharashtra, India, vide their letter no. KVV/IEC/01/2025 dated January 23, 2025.
Results: The TNP group demonstrated a significantly higher mean EMG amplitude in the masseter muscle compared to the Non-TNP group for both soft (Right Masseter: 624.53 ± 161.92 µV vs 500.64 ± 101.95 µV; p = 0.0004) and hard foods (Left Masseter: 774.19 ± 171.4 µV vs 673.72 ± 144.25 µV; p = 0.0089). The Right Temporalis also showed a significant increase when chewing bread (556.47 ± 119.33 µV vs 505.93 ± 119.3 µV; p = 0.0449). Conversely, no significant differences were observed in the mean duration of muscular activity.
Conclusion: Text Neck Posture significantly increases the neuromuscular effort of the masticatory muscles. This heightened activation is interpreted as a compensatory muscular response necessary to maintain mandibular stability under the altered biomechanical stress of forward head posture. These findings emphasize the need for early postural awareness and ergonomic interventions.
Keywords: Text Neck Posture; Craniovertebral Angle; Masticatory Muscles; Electromyography; Superficial Masseter; Anterior Temporalis; Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction; Digital Device Use.
How to cite this article: Charvi Bhushan Pitambare, Dr Trupti Yadav, Dr Anand G. Joshi et al, influence of text neck posture on the masticatory muscle activity during mastication of different textured foods in young adults .Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(12s): 140-152. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.12s.15
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None