Suboccipital Release vs Smartphone App Guided Exercises in Smartphone Neck Syndrome

Randomized controlled trial comparing suboccipital release and smartphone app-guided exercises on pain, disability, craniovertebral angle and cervical ROM in 52 participants with smartphone neck syndrome over 4 weeks.

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18 -30 years * Both genders * Neck pain (\>3 months duration) * Smartphone use ≥3 h/day * Presence of ≥ 3 symptoms (neck pain, upper back pain, shoulder pain, headache, insomnia,intermittent tingling/numbness in upper limbs) * Smartphone use with neck flexion ≥ 15°. * Pain intensity ≥ 3/10 on NPRS * Disability score ≥ 10/50 on Neck Disability Index (NDI) * Forward head posture with a craniovertebral angle (CVA) \< 50 * Able to understand and independently follow smartphone application-guided Exclusion Criteria: * History of cervical spine trauma, surgery, or fracture. * Presence of clinically confirmed cervical radiculopathy or objective neurological deficits (e.g., dermatomal sensory loss, myotomal weakness, diminished deep tendon reflexes, or positive clinical tests for cervical radiculopathy). * Structural spinal deformities (e.g., scoliosis, torticollis) * Presence of acute infection, inflammatory, or systemic musculoskeletal conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis) * Vestibular deficits * Current participation in other neck pain treatments