Chiropractic treatments are increasing in popularity for a variety of conditions in all age groups. People no longer just schedule a visit for their stiff back or neck pain. One question that comes up frequently in our office is if chiropractic care is a good treatment option for senior citizens?
With many elderly adults in the United States using chiropractic care, it is important to understand what is offered to see what would be most beneficial for the senior community. We’ve broken down things to consider when making the decision to work with a chiropractor.
What Happens As We Age?
It is a fact of life that as we get older, our joints start to wear down due to extensive use throughout the years. This level varies from one individual to the next, depending on the physical habits and genetic history of the person.
Some seniors are active and experience few problems with day to day activities. Others lead more sedentary lifestyles and are more likely to suffer painful side effects from inflammatory conditions like arthritis. This can extremely limit the range of motion in their bodies and make daily tasks like dressing or showering difficult. Stiffness and aching joints are common in many, and can drastically disrupt their quality of life.
Chiropractic care can lessen the side effects of these conditions. With the right combination of treatment techniques, pain levels can be reduced and mobility can be increased.
Is Chiropractic Care Too Strenuous for the Elderly?
Some people believe that chiropractic care may be too forceful for an older person because of the manipulation techniques used during the chiropractic process. We carefully monitor the physical condition of each patient and use techniques that are tailored to get the best results with their age and symptoms.
It’s important to understand the variety of chiropractic techniques and the level of manipulation required with each patient. This is especially true when dealing with senior citizens. This is something that we closely evaluate at every new patient consultation.
Benefits of Chiropractic Care for the Elderly
The most common reason an elderly person seeks chiropractic care is to manage pain in the muscles and joints. Recent research has shown that many senior citizens have disabling or non-disabling back pain.
Many elderly patients visit a chiropractor to assist with improving ongoing health conditions or to enhance preventative care. Chiropractic care is a step to nurture an individual's central nervous system. The nervous system is very sensitive to the spinal cord area. Any obstruction or irregularity in the alignment of the vertebrae of the spine can affect many organs in the body, as well as the person’s overall well being.
Common Improvements from Chiropractic Care in the Elderly:
Pain relief
Chiropractors have the ability to fix the subluxations within the spine that cause pain and inflammation, without the use of medication.
Natural treatment
Many medications have unpleasant side effects. It is important to find natural pain relief at any age, instead of using so many pharmaceutical drugs.
Increased Quality of Life
Chiropractic care can help an elderly person improve their range of motion, which can enhance their quality of life.
Lower Risk of Falling
Chiropractic care helps to minimize subluxations in the spine and helps patients learn how to stretch and exercise to improve balance techniques.
Chiropractic treatment can be very beneficial to all ages… including senior citizens. Contact us today to take advantage of our new patient special!
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