How do seniors benefit from chiropractic care?

Seniors can really benefit from regular Chiropractic care but many seniors aren’t even aware of it.

Here are some of the ways Chiropractic Care can benefit seniors:

Balance and Coordination Improved

Injuries or degenerative changes to your neck can cause balance and coordination issues in seniors. The back joints of your neck contain receptors that relay information about balance and coordination to your brain.

As with all areas of the human body, age can cause these receptors to be deficient and can cause seniors to lose body awareness which, of course, can result in loss of balance.

The human body is a wonderful thing and will automatically compensate for the loss of balance due to the deficient receptors by providing a wider stance which can result in an unusual gait. However, this is a temporary solution as the impairment can increase and finally a senior will find it very difficult to rise from a chair or a fall. Chiropractic care can stimulate those receptors again which can lead to better coordination and balance.

Range of Motion Improved

Range of motion can decrease over time due to many factors. Muscles become shorter and less elastic as we grow older. The spine, hips and shoulders can lose range of motion due to the affect aging has on our bone structure and muscles. This can cause a lot of pain. Other things that cause decreased range of motion include: Parkinson’s disease, car accidents, increased muscle spasms, overuse, or injuries from falls.

You want to increase your range of motion because no matter what activity you are involved in, range of motion matters. Your activities could be as simple as picking up your grandchildren, kneeling while gardening, swinging your golf club or bending over to tie your shoe. Increased range of motion is also important for those who are more athletic of course. However, whatever you doin life, increased range of motion will allow you to do it better.

Provides Pain Relief

Back pain, neck pain and even headaches can all be positively affected with regular care. Chiropractic care is one of the safest options for pain relief.

Health and Well-Being Increased

Chiropractic care can also help give you a sense of well-being, better sleep, more energy and help you enjoy the activities that you participate in life.

Your quality of life will have improved after regular chiropractic care which will make you fell life is worth living. Having an active life style, elimination of pain and the correction of soft tissue abnormalities are just some of the benefits. Golfing, dancing, gardening and exercising are all things you will not have to give up but ca embrace again.

Out of Nursing Homes

It is worth noting a study conducted by Dr. Coulter, the president of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1996. Elderly people, 414 of them, with the average age of 80, were evaluated and then compared to each other based on their health and chiropractic use. Three-years later less than 5% of those who received regular chiropractic care were in a nursing home. Compare that to 48% in nursing home who did not use chiropractic care.

If you desire to stay at home rather than be cared for by others as you age, then chiropractic care can help.

Joint and Tissue Degeneration decreased

If your spine has a subluxation issue can cause your spine to actually wear out faster. A comparison would be to having the tires misaligned on your car. Some areas of a tire would wear out more quickly than others. Same holds true for your spine. If it is misaligned (subluxation) then some areas of your spine will wear more than others, causing pain.

Chiropractors can help reduce that stress on your spine which in turn could help reduce spinal degeneration.

Incidence of Falling Decreased

Chiropractors can reduce the risk of falls. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that falls are responsible for 90% of bone fractures which occur in those over age 65 in America. Annually, there are 850,000 falls reported.

The adjustments a chiropractor does on seniors will keep those receptors in proper working order. This will help seniors maintain balance and reduce falls. Many of the activities chiropractors prescribe are stretching exercises that will help increase strength, mobility, flexibility, balance and coordination.

Arthritis Decreased

Inflamed joints, or arthritis, can cause pain and loss of mobility. The joints can become swollen and difficult to bend. The most common type of arthritis in seniors is Osteoarthritis (OA) and is caused by the cartilage wearing away and causing the bones to rub against each other. The most common areas for OA are hands, neck, knees, and hips and lower back. If unchecked, it can lead to difficulty bending and moving.

There are many causes to arthritis, such as age, weight, injuries etc The discs in the spine need nutrients and need to be able to eliminate waste or they can not heal properly when injured and this happens through movement. If your spine cant move, then it cant eliminate waste or get the proper nutrients. A regular chiropractic plan can help you retain your spine mobility and keep those joints healthy.