Comparison of Vital Capacity and Balance between Elderly Women and Young Women with Forward Head Postures According to the Use of Figure-8 brace

Kim, Eun Kyung

Abstract

PURPOSE
To improve pulmonary function and decrease in balance ability with increasing forward head position and vertebral curvature, we applied Figure-8 brace to confirm the immediate effect on vital capacity and balance and to see if it is applicable.
METHODS
A total of 34 elderly women aged 65 or older and young women in their 20s with FHP were screened to measure vital capacity, measuring the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), and measuring the foot pressure to see the change in balance. For statistical analysis, the difference between pre and post values was compared using pared t-test.
RESULTS
As a result of vital capacity measurements, there was no significant difference between FEV1 and FVC for women over 65 years old (p>0.05). Young women in their 20s had no significant difference in FEV1 (p>0.05), and FVC had significant differences (p<0.05). In measuring foot pressure to measure balance, both women aged 65 and above and young women in their 20s had a significant decrease in anterior foot pressure, and a significant increase in posterior foot pressure (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study did not positively affect the vital capacity of elderly women with FHP. However, the significant increase in vital capacity of young women in their 20s suggests that contraction of the abdominal muscle is necessary during forced expiration. Therefore, it is believed that proper application and therapeutic interventions should be combined when applying Figure-8 brace.