The Effect of Scapular Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Exercises

Posture is generally defined as the sitting or standing position of a person's body. Repetitive or prolonged positioning in an atypical posture may also occur as a risk factor for the development of musculoskeletal diseases. Race, gender, seasons, nutrition, socio-economic status, profession and occupations, psychological state, hygiene, sleep patterns, exercise habits, fatigue, fractures, soft tissue disorders, disorders in the normal alignment angles of the joints, and emotional states such as joy, grief, and distress. It affects posture. Creating professional awareness among physiotherapy and rehabilitation students is very important for the physiotherapy profession, which has a very important role in protecting and improving public health, to achieve its professional goals. On the other hand, physiotherapists and physiotherapy students are at great risk of musculoskeletal disorders due to their working conditions and working postures.

The basic principle of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques, defined as facilitating the responses of the neuromuscular mechanism by stimulating the proprioceptors and briefly referred to as PNF, is based on the principle that physiological movements in the human body have rotational and oblique characters and that a greater response can be achieved with movements performed against maximum resistance. The shoulder girdle serves purposes beyond stabilization and movement of the extremities. The clavicle and scapula cooperate as a single unit in the shoulder girdle. The scapula is not a weight-bearing structure during normal functions; rather, it supports the attachment of skeletal muscles.Scapula patterns are activated by upper extremity patterns, and all upper extremity patterns occur together with scapula patterns. The therapeutic purposes of scapula patterns are as follows:

mobility and stabilization of the scapula,

• Trunk muscles and movements, rotation, etc. functional activities,
• Cervical movements and stability, to increase upper-extremity movements and stabilization. Strengthening exercises for posture problems are frequently included in literature studies. However, the results of scapular-pattern PNF exercises specific to the shoulder girdle muscles are unknown. In this study, which we planned in light of this information, the findings obtained from scapular PNF exercises will serve to fill this gap in the literature.

Our hypotheses in this project are:

Hypothesis 1: Scapular PNF applications will show superiority in the development of muscle strength compared to upper extremity strengthening exercises in university students who receive 6-week training.

Hypothesis 2: Scapular PNF applications will be superior to upper extremity strengthening exercises in correcting shoulder girdle posture in university students who receive 6-week training.

Hypothesis 3: Scapular PNF applications will be superior to upper extremity strengthening exercises in the development of hand skills in university students who receive 6-week training.

The most common posture problem seen in university students is the deterioration of shoulder girdle posture. In this project,

• Purpose: To examine the effects of scapular PNF training on the strength of upper extremity muscles.
• Purpose: To examine the effects of scapular PNF training on shoulder girdle posture.

Purpose: To examine the effects of scapular PNF training on manual skills.

Inclusion criteria

• Being between the ages of 18-35
• Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Having a systemic disease that prevents exercise,
• Having a history of orthopedic problems in the upper extremity (fracture, trauma, etc.)