So why is Chiropractic care helpful for mature or older adults?
As you age dramatic changes occur in your body and in your spine! With increasing age your spine and associate areas becomes less able to withstand normal strain. As a result, back pain from spinal and soft tissues injury increases. That which can help the older person minimise risk and optimize their overall health and wellness is good.
Chiropractic care for older persons Spine, Muscles, Skeleton may help manage chronic pain, increase flexibility, improve mobility and function, help restore postural alignment and balance. Care which improves the above should help increase the overall quality of life of older adults.
As we age and experience muscular skeletal aches and pains Chiropractic Care can be of benefit for:
- Pain relief from neck, spine and joint pain
- Decrease muscle stiffness
- Increase range of motion & mobility
- Straighter posture
- Improved balance (through treatment of assoc musculo-skeletal issues)
- Better coordination (through treatment of assoc musculo-skeletal issues)
- Improved mobility (through treatment of assoc musculo-skeletal issues)
- Reduce spinal stress & tension
The Chiropractor primarily works on the Spine, Muscles and Skeleton of the patient and treats those aspects of conditions that are amenable to manual therapy.
Some Studies of Chiropractic in Older People:
Various lower-force chiropractic techniques are available and may be a safe alternative for musculoskeletal complaints in the older patient. Due to the prevalence of musculo-skeletal conditions in older patients chiropractic care may be useful for these patients musculo-skeletal complaints or musculo-skeletal aches and pains. Studies with positive outcomes do exist however as these studies may have been done some time ago or may not be randomised, we are not allowed to quote the studies and the study findings. If this is an area of interest to you, you may wish to do look for information in the public domain, with google or other searches. Search terms could include words such as Chiropractic and elderly or studies on chiropractic and elderly or older persons.
References Chiro Care may benefit Older Adults:
- 1. Weigel PA, Hockenberry J, Bentler SE, et al. The comparative effect of episodes of chiropractic and medical treatment on the health of older adults. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014;37(3):143-54.
- 2. Weigel PA, Hockenberry JM, Wolinsky FD. Chiropractic use in the Medicare population: prevalence, patterns, and associations with 1-year changes in health and satisfaction with care. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014;37(8):542-51.
- 3. Killinger L.Z. Chiropractic and geriatrics: a review of the training, role and scope of chiropractic in caring for aging patients. Clin Geriatr Med. 2004 May: 20(2):223-35.
- 4. Coulter, PhD et Al. Chiropractic and Care for the Elderly. Top Clin Chiro 1996; 3(2): 46-55.