Top Benefits of Chiropractic Care for the Elderly
Many senior citizens are unaware of the benefits they could be receiving from chiropractic medicine. Chiropractic care is one of the most effective and safest forms of health care to treat pain due to spinal related conditions.
Chiropractic is effective because most causes of spinal disorders are related to abnormalities of the spine and the surrounding soft tissue structures. Doctors of Chiropractic are specifically trained to identify and treat subluxations (misalignments of the vertebrae) and their subsequent effect on the central nervous system.
Anti inflammatory medication and pain relievers merely mask the symptoms and have many undesirable side effects. Seniors experiencing problems related to misalignment of the spine may benefit from chiropractic care. While there are many myths regarding the safety of chiropractic care, in reality this type of medical treatment is very effective and quite safe, particularly in comparison to alternative treatments such as surgery and drug therapy. There are a wide number of benefits and advantages available to seniors through chiropractic care, such as:
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. Doctors of Chiropractic are specifically trained to identify and treat misalignments of the vertebrae and their subsequent effect on the central nervous system. Anti-inflammatory medication and pain relievers merely mask the symptoms and have many undesirable side effects.
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 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.
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. Mechanoreceptors in cervical posterior joints provide major input regarding the position of the head in relation to the body. With aging, mild defects impair mechanoreceptors function and results in a loss of proprioception (sense of body awareness).
With decreased proprioception, body positioning in space is impaired and the patient becomes reliant on vision to know the location of a limb.
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.
Increased Health and Well-Being 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.
These are just a few of the many benefits of chiropractic care for senior citizens!
Sources:
http://patch.com/new-jersey/newmilford-nj/bp--7-amazing-benefits-of-chiropractic-care-for-seniors
http://www.seniorcitizensguide.com/articles/southwestohio/chiropractic-care-for-seniors.htm
http://www.100percentchiropractic.com/chiropractic-for-the-elderly-a-guide/
