When I first graduated from Chiropractic College, my dad with his usual helpful wisdom, suggested to me that I should move to Victoria and set up practice. “There’s lots of retired people there, and seniors love Chiropractors”, he proclaimed.

What is it that seniors know that a lot of their younger counterparts seem to miss? And how exactly does regular chiropractic care help them?

A three year study published in Topics in Clinical Chiropractic in 1996 examined senior citizens over the age of 75 years of age and revealed that seniors who receive regular chiropractic care experienced the following:

•  Chiropractic patients spend 15% less time in nursing homes and 21% less time in hospitals than the non-chiropractic patients
• Report “better overall health” on quality of life surveys (87% of seniors under chiropractic care described their health as “excellent” or “good”, compared to only 65% of non-chiropractic patients)
• Have fewer chronic conditions
• Were less likely to utilize prescription drugs than non-chiropractic patients
• Were more likely to exercise vigorously and be active in the community

As the population ages, more people more people are consulting doctors of chiropractic, especially in their later years. As we live longer there are growing concerns about over-medication and the side effects of combining various prescription drugs. Safe natural chiropractic care is growing in popularity.  Restoring proper nerve and spinal function can help improve mobility, vitality, and endurance, and therefore the quality of your life.

Is chiropractic care only good for seniors? As I once heard an investment banker speak about savings plans, “the best time to start saving would have been 20 years ago, but the second best time is now.”  The same goes for your health. Experiencing the health benefits of chiropractic care now will also provide benefits for your enjoyment of your life in your later years.

Most Frequent Benefits Regular Chiropractic Care provides for Seniors

1. Pain Relief

Chiropractic care is one of the most effective and safest forms of health care to treat pain due to spinal related conditions. Chiropractic is so effective because most causes of spinal disorders are related to abnormalities of the spine and the surrounding soft tissue structures.

2. Increased Range of Motion of the Spine and Extremities

Chiropractic care has been shown repeatedly to increase not only the range of motion of the spine but also in the extremities. Increasing a person’s range of motion can positively and drastically affect lives in many ways. For some, an increased range of motion means being able to bend down to pick up their grandchildren. For others, it means they can garden without pain or get an extra 40 yards of distance out of their driver on the golf course. In many cases, an increase in range of motion immediately follows chiropractic adjustments. This is one of the reasons why many top professional sporting teams have team chiropractors.

3. Increased Balance and Coordination

Many problems in balance and coordination in the aging population have been shown to come from injury or degenerative changes to the cervical spine (neck region). Structures known as mechanoreceptors are located in the posterior (back) joints of the cervical spine and are responsible for providing the brain with essential information important for balance and coordination.

4. Decreased Joint Degeneration

A subluxated (misaligned) spine is much like a misaligned wheel on an automobile. This misalignment will cause the spine (and the wheel) to wear out prematurely. Since all moving parts will eventually wear down over time, it is very important to get your spine aligned periodically. Chiropractic care decreases spinal degeneration and other arthritic changes by normalizing the spinal alignment and reducing spinal stress.

5. Increased Health and Well-Being

We commonly ask our patients what changes they notice once they are put of pain. Here are some regular responses we hear every day:

I feel great!

I can sleep through the night!

Now I can play in the garden!

I have so much energy!

Life is worth living now!

Yes, chiropractic is far more than mere pain relief. Feeling good, staying healthy and doing the things that make us happy are what keeps us looking forward to each new day. Regular chiropractic care increase the quality of life and increase health and well-being.

6. Decreased Incidence of Falling

Injuries due to falling are extremely common in the elderly population. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are responsible for 90% of the 850,000 bone fractures which occur annually among Americans past the age of 65. Chiropractors reduce the risk of falls by normalizing the mechanoreceptors of the cervical spine by administering chiropractic adjustments. They also prescribe stretching and exercise programs to increase strength, flexibility, mobility, balance and coordination.

Start with calling our office to schedule yourself, or someone you know, in for a check-up appointment to see what treatment options are available to you.