Can wearable tech and apps fix poor posture better than exercise alone?
NCT ID NCT07763327
First seen Aug 13, 2026 · Last updated Aug 14, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study compares three ways to improve posture in university students with forward head posture: a wearable belt that vibrates when posture slips, a smartphone app with scheduled reminders, and exercise alone. Over six weeks, participants will follow a supervised exercise program, with some receiving real-time or scheduled prompts to correct their posture throughout the day. The trial aims to see which approach leads to greater improvements in posture, neck pain, and neck function.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Wearable postural biofeedback device, app-based postural reminder, and conventional exercise therapy
- What this could lead to
- If effective, this could identify the most practical way to correct posture in students, potentially reducing neck pain and long-term strain.
- What could go wrong
- The trial is small and short-term, and results may not apply to all students or guarantee lasting posture improvement.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 87 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 30 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. University students aged 18-30 years enrolled in a degree program at Riphah International University. 2. Daily sitting duration ≥ 5 hours (academic and/or device-related activities). 3. Presence of at least one observable postural deviation confirmed at baseline assessment: forward head posture (CVA \< 50°), rounded shoulders (protracted shoulder distance in supine line), or thoracic kyphosis (\> 40° via digital inclinometer). 4. Smartphone ownership and basic digital literacy Exclusion Criteria: 1. History of spinal surgery, vertebral fracture, or major cervical/thoracic trauma within the past 12 months. 2. Diagnosed neurological disorders affecting posture or motor control (e.g., Parkinson's disease, stroke, cervical dystonia). 3. Structural spinal deformities requiring active medical or surgical management (e.g., scoliosis Cobb angle \> 20°, Scheuermann's kyphosis). 4. Current participation in physiotherapy, chiropractic treatment, or another structured posture correction program. 5. Cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions contraindicating moderate-intensity exercise (e.g., uncontrolled hypertension, severe asthma). 6. Skin conditions, open wounds, or allergies precluding safe use of the posture correction belt.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Postgraduation Lab of Riphah College of Rehabilitation & Allied Health Sciences , Riphah International University. Islamabad
Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan
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