Citation

Khademolhosseini Y, Pirouzi S, Ghanbari A, Arabzadeh S, Rezaei I. Geriatr. Nurs. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Physical Therapy Department, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Rehabilitation Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: irezaei@sums.ac.ir.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.gerinurse.2020.02.002

PMID

32145993

Abstract

Although there is clinical evidence of postural instability at extreme angles of head extension, the effects of lower angles on balance have been not investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different head and neck extension angles on standing balance in older adults, and to determine the critical angle of instability. Twenty-eight healthy older adults were tested at 0°, 20°, 30° and 40° head and neck extension. The center of pressure (COP) parameters were recorded with a force plate. Significant differences were observed between 30° and 40° compared to 0° in anteroposterior and mediolateral COP displacement and total COP velocity, and between 40° and 0° in mediolateral COP velocity. Head and neck extension at 30° was the critical angle associated with the appearance of instability, and this value should be considered in the ergonomic design of work and living spaces, exercise programming and daily activities in older adults.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Center of pressure; Geriatric; Head and neck extension; Postural control; Standing balance