Effects of cervical collars on standing balance.

The effect of cervical collars on standing balance in two age groups was examined. Twenty healthy women aged 60 to 78 years and 20 healthy women aged 18 to 29 years stood on a Kistler force platform with and without a cervical collar. Total, lateral and anteroposterior sway velocity were measured in each of three positions; long-base stance and eyes open, wide-base stance and eyes open, and wide-base stance and eyes closed. Analysis of variance showed no significant difference (p < .05) between the collar and no collar conditions for any of the standing balance measures. Older women had significantly more sway velocity (p < .001) than younger women during long-base standing both with and without the collar. Also they showed significantly more sway velocity in both the total (p < .01) and the anteroposterior (AP) directions (p < .001) of wide-base standing. There were no significant lateral sway velocity differences (p < .05). With eyes closed, sway velocity was greater in all age groups. In the wide-based condition there were significant differences in sway velocity between AP (p < .001) and total and lateral (p < .01). These results indicate that a cervical collar does not disturb standing balance in healthy women in the age groups tested.