Musculoskeletal consequences of refractive errors: posture, cervical joint position sense, neck disability, musculoskeletal discomfort, and quality of life.

Eda Akbas, Tuğçe Duman Özkan, Emin Ulas Erdem, Zeynep Sude Yamakoğlu, Hayriye Yeni̇yapi

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Chinese Reading Performance with Toric Versus Spherical Equivalent Soft Contact Lenses: A Participant-Masked Randomised Crossover Eye-Tracking Study.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2026
Trial

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Eda AkbasDepartment of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye. akbas.pt@gmail.com.

Tuğçe Duman ÖzkanDepartment of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitiation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Yeni Yuzyıl University, Zonguldak, Türkiye.

Emin Ulas ErdemDepartment of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye.

Zeynep Sude YamakoğluDepartment of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye.

Hayriye Yeni̇yapiDepartment of Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, Institute of Health Sciences, Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Türkiye.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRefractive errors (RE) affect posture, musculoskeletal health, and quality of life due to compensatory head and neck adjustments. However, their specific musculoskeletal effects remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the impact of RE on posture, cervical joint position sense (CJPS), neck disability, musculoskeletal discomfort, and quality of life to identify their distinct effects.

methodsThis cross-sectional study included 71 participants (mean age 35.67±10.78 years) : 20 controls, 20 with myopia, 14 with hyperopia, and 17 with astigmatism. Posture was assessed using forward head posture (FHP), pectoralis minor tightness, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, and the New York Posture Rating Scale (NYPR). CJPS was measured with a CROM device. Neck disability was evaluated using the Neck Disability Index (NDI), musculoskeletal discomfort with the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ), and quality of life with the Short Form-36 (SF-36) survey.

resultsAll RE groups showed increased FHP (p = 0.003), lower NYPR scores (p = 0.001), and greater neck discomfort (p = 0.004) compared to controls. Myopia had higher neck disability scores (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 1.21), while hyperopia (p = 0.006, Cohen’s d = 1.21) and astigmatism (p = 0.003, Cohen’s d = 1.12) exhibited greater thoracic kyphosis and CMDQ back scores compared to controls. Hyperopia also had elevated CMDQ low back scores (p = 0.004, Cohen’s d = 0.74). Hyperopia had lower general health perception (p = 0.005, Cohen’s d = 1.03), while both myopia and hyperopia showed greater role limitations due to physical problems (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 1.04; p = 0.001, Cohen’s d = 1.16, respectively). No significant differences were found in CJPS (p > 0.05).

conclusionsAll refractive RE groups experienced postural changes and musculoskeletal discomfort, with distinct effects depending on the type of impairment. Interventions should be tailored to address neck disability in myopia, thoracic alignment issues in astigmatism, and musculoskeletal adaptations extending to the lower back in hyperopia. A multidisciplinary approach, combining ophthalmology, physiotherapy, and ergonomics, is crucial for developing effective rehabilitation strategies and understanding the long-term musculoskeletal impact of RE.

Indexed as

Neck PainPostureProprioceptionQuality of LifeRefractive ErrorsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDisability EvaluationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedYoung AdultAstigmatismCervical proprioceptionHyperopiaMusculoskeletal discomfortMyopiaNeck disabilityPostureQuality of lifeRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID41896802

DOI10.1186/s12891-026-09769-y

PMCPMC13147553

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.