UMS Physiotherapy Team Secures Funding from SAPIN X BRIN

The Physiotherapy student team from Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) has once again achieved a remarkable milestone in the field of biomedical research. They successfully secured funding from the Pesantren Health Research Program, organized by the Santri Peduli Negeri Foundation (Sapin) in collaboration with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) in 2025

Their research, titled “The Effectiveness of Exercise and Head Posture Correction on Changes in the Craniocervical Angle among Qur’an Memorization Students at Daarul Qur’an Colomadu: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” investigates how exercise and head posture correction can influence the craniocervical angle in Qur’an memorizers who are at risk of Forward Head Posture (FHP)m a common issue caused by prolonged downward head positions during memorization.

Team leader Selvi Restiyana explained that the study focuses on assessing the effectiveness of posture correction and targeted exercises in improving neck alignment and reducing FHP risk. 

“Through this research, we want to help Qur’an memorizers maintain ideal posture, reduce neck pain, and improve comfort and concentration during memorization,” said Selvi in an interview on Sunday (12/10/2025).

Beyond its practical benefits for the students, the research also contributes significantly to the field of physiotherapy. The findings are expected to strengthen scientific evidence for posture correction interventions and serve as a foundation for the ‘Pesantren Sehat Postur’ (Healthy Posture Pesantren) program, an initiative envisioned to be implemented across Islamic boarding schools nationwide.

The research was conducted over eight weeks at Daarul Qur’an Islamic Boarding School in Colomadu, Karanganyar Regency, Central Java. The team also utilized the Physiotherapy Laboratory of UMS for instrument validation and data analysis.

The research team consists of Selvi Restiyana, Samiyem, Nadya Maulita Putri, and Afnan Zain Muzakki. They were mentored by Drh. Rita Marleta Dewi, M.Kes. from the Biomedical Research Center of BRIN, and received technical guidance from Arif Pristianto, SSt.FT., M.Fis., a lecturer from the Faculty of Health Sciences, UMS.

Selvi explained that her team had to undergo a rigorous selection process to qualify for funding. The UMS proposal stood out due to its strong methodological design, a randomized controlled trial (RCT), and its high relevance to health issues in Islamic boarding schools. After passing administrative and scientific evaluations by BRIN reviewers, their proposal was officially approved for national funding.

"During the preparation phase, we received a lot of guidance from Mr. Arif, who helped strengthen our methodological framework and team readiness. The supervisors’ support was instrumental in helping us qualify at the national level,” Selvi said.

She added that Daarul Qur’an Islamic Boarding School warmly welcomed the research initiative, providing full support and preparing an official cooperation agreement with the UMS research team.

Looking ahead, the research outcomes will be developed into a student posture training program titled “Pesantren Sehat Postur” envisioned as a community-based physiotherapy intervention model for Islamic boarding schools. The team also aims to publish their findings in the Indonesian Journal of Applied Physiotherapy (SINTA 3) as part of UMS students’ academic contribution to evidence-based research.

“We hope this research doesn’t stop at the academic level but can be implemented practically to improve posture health and learning comfort among Qur’an memorizers,” Selvi concluded

Writer: Yusuf Ismail

Editor: Fika Annisa Sholihah

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid