The Influence of Manual Therapy Applied to the Cervical Spine in the Prevention of Balance Disorders in the Elderly

Falling is a major trauma that can occur with aging, leading to very significant psychological and physical health effects with financial and societal consequences. It is therefore essential to explore therapeutic treatments that can reduce this risk. Some recognized effective treatments exist, concerning in particular the re-education of the muscles of the lower limbs. However, to our knowledge, none of them focus on the cervical spine although the latter is located at an essential physiological crossroads. Manual therapy, which has already demonstrated its impact on pain and balance parameters in the elderly, could be a painless and non-invasive tool of choice in addressing this problem.