Faris Shuleih Alshammari1, Eman Salameh Alzoghbieh1* and Fuad Al-Dabbak2
1Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences, San Marcos, CA, USA
2Inpatient Rehabilitation, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA, USA
*Corresponding Author: Eman Salameh Alzoghbieh, Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, University of Saint Augustine for Health Sciences, San Marcos, CA, USA.
Received: November 03, 2025; Published: November 27, 2025
Muscle balance, defined as equivalent strength of agonist and antagonist muscle groups to ensure coordinated movement and smooth motor control, is a key factor in maintaining optimal posture and preventing musculoskeletal disorders. Muscle balance is affected by muscle shortening or weakness. University students spend long hours sitting while performing school-related activities, which can impair muscle balance by causing muscle shortening and/or weakness. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of adaptive postural muscle shortening and weakness among university students in Jordan. Two hundred participants were recruited for this study. One participant decided to withdraw. After obtaining informed consent, participants underwent standardized measures, including head position measures, Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), and Muscle Length Tests. Results indicated a high prevalence of postural muscle weakness and flexibility issues. Results revealed that 15.1% had normal strength of deep neck flexor muscles. Simultaneously, 15.3% had normal strength of right shoulder retractor muscles. Also, 13.6% had normal strength of left shoulder retractor muscles. Right pectoralis muscle flexibility was limited in 65.2% of subjects, and left pectoralis muscle flexibility was limited in 69.3% of subjects. CROM measures showed that the average head position among subjects was 18.07 ± 1.89 cm. The average head retraction of subjects was 16.51 ± 2.11 cm, and the average head protraction was 21.31 ± 2.55 cm. Results revealed that 30.7% of subjects had normal strength in the abdominal muscles, 32.7% had normal strength in the right gluteal muscles, and 29.6% had normal strength in the left gluteal muscles. Right hip flexor muscles had limited flexibility in 63.1% of subjects; however, left hip flexor muscle flexibility was limited in 58.2% of subjects. Right hamstring muscle flexibility was limited in 89.9% of subjects, while left hamstring muscle flexibility was limited in 81.9% of subjects. The average anterior tilt of the right innominate was 11.37 ± 4.2 degrees, and the left innominate was 10.85 ± 4.4 degrees. Adaptive shortening and weakness of postural muscles are predominant among university students. It could be related to their sedentary lifestyle and the hours they spend studying. It is imperative to implement proper interventions to enhance the function of postural muscles and improve body posture among university students.
Keywords: Adaptive Muscle Shortening; Muscle Weakness; University Students; Postural Balance; Jordan
Citation: Eman Salameh Alzoghbieh., et al. “The Prevalence of Adaptive Muscles Shortening and Weakness Among University Students in Jordan".Acta Scientific Orthopaedics 8.12 (2025): 28-34.
Copyright: © 2025 Faris Alshammari., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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