Abstract:
Background: Forward head posture (FHP) represents a predominant posture-related abnormality. Falls and their associated injuries present a major public health concern among elderly. Major fall risk factors include impaired balance and functional mobility. Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a disabling condition that affects a significant number of the population. Purpose: This study aimed to explore the impact of CVA changes on risk of falling in CR patients. Subjects and methods: Fifty patients with CR from both genders took part in this study. These patients were assigned into two groups; study group(G I) comprised 25 patients with FHP (CVA=less than 49°) and control group (G II) comprised 25 patients without FHP (CVA ≥ 55°). Assessment of falling risk was conducted utilizing the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), whereas fear of falling was measured with the Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). Results: Significant statistical differences were recorded between the groups in the mean scores of BBS and FES-I, as the study group exhibited a significantly decreased mean BBS score and a significantly increased mean FES-I score compared to controls. The CVA was significantly positively correlated with mean scores of BBS, and significantly negatively correlated with mean scores of FES-I. Conclusion: Patients with CR and FHP have higher fear of falling and risk of falling compared with patients without FHP and there is a strong positive relationship between FHP and both the risk and fear of falling in CR patients.