Chiropractic- Is It Safe for Seniors?

Chiropractic- Is It Safe for Seniors?

Presented by:  Health First Chiropractic

One of the amazing things about chiropractic care is that everyone and every body can benefit from it;  chiropractic care is not gender or age-specific.

This is a very good thing, since Americans are growing older and older at an alarming rate. According to an article published online for Harvard Magazine, in America 3,000 people turn 65 every day. Statistics suggest that between the years of 1990 and 2020, it is very likely that the total number of this group of citizens will grow by 71%- more than twice the rate of growth in the general population! If this is true, by the year 2020, one out of six Americans will be over the age of 65.1  These percentage statistics likely follow the same courses in most other countries in the Western World.

However, just because we are getting older, it does not mean we have to feel older!

Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts that is ideally suited to take care of this aging generation. Why? Because movement is the expression of life and chiropractors are the ones who keep your joints moving!

Vertebral subluxations can cause joint degeneration, altered balance, and pain. And, chiropractic adjustments are the only therapeutic tool that has been specifically designed to correct for spinal subluxations!

The scientific community is raving about the benefits of chiropractic care for seniors. In one article published in Clinics In Geriatric Medicine, the author compliments chiropractic for its safety, low-cost and consistently high level of patient satisfaction. He goes on to mention that with respect to the musculoskeletal care of elderly patients, chiropractic care is recommended by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, plus the American Geriatric Society- especially when it comes to acute lower back pain.2

Need more Proof?

In the mid-1990s, several researchers conducted a comprehensive health study concerning a large group (400+) of senior citizens with an average age over 65 years, and compared those who were receiving chiropractic care with those who were not. There were many significant differences between the two sub-groups:

• 87% of those who used chiropractic care rated their health as good  or  excellent. Only 68% in the non-chiropractic group used this same rating.   

• On the other hand, only 13% of those who used chiropractic care rated their health as fair  or  poor  compared with 32% in the non-group.

• Arthritis was reported in only 44% of the group who used chiropractic care, whereas 66% of the non-chiropractic care group reported suffering from this condition.

• At 3 years follow up, only 26% of those who used chiropractic care were  hospitalized  compared with 48% of those in the non-chiropractic group.

At that same 3 year follow-up, less than 5% of those who used chiropractic care were utilizing a nursing home while a staggering 48% of those who did not use chiropractic care did incorporate a nursing home in their daily activities!3

With the aging population, life is not all about the quantity, it is about the QUALITY! Chiropractic helps to increase your quality of life by decreasing your back pain and increasing your mobility, so you can get out there and enjoy the activities that make you smile. Having proper spinal alignment has also been known to de-stress and balance the nervous system. Since the nerves keep the brain and body communicating properly, a nervous system free of irritation and interference can benefit a wide-range of other bodily systems!

In a landmark study, research showed that patients over the age of 65 who used regular chiropractic maintenance reported needing to make only half the number of medical office visits on any given year, compared to those of similar age who did not use chiropractic!4  Since we only have one body for our entire life, wouldn't YOU like to have yours remain functional as long as possible? According to this study, if you use chiropractic on a regular basis, you can!

Tell your parents, grand-parents, aunts and uncles about chiropractic too. In a friendly and professional manner, your chiropractor will conduct a thorough assessment of their spines in order to determine whether they have vertebral subluxations limiting their true potential. Then, with a combination of chiropractic adjustments, plus advice for gentle stretches and exercises, your chiropractor will help to keep your loved ones healthy and happy.

References and Sources:  1. Lauerman, J. Toward a Natural History of Aging:  Scientists Probe Beyond Disease to Identify the Parameters of an Energetic Later Life. Harvard Magazine. 1996 (Sept-Oct); 99(1). Source: http//harvardmagazine.com/1996/09/aging.html  2. Killinger LZ. Chiropractic and geriatrics: a review of the training, role, and scope of chiropractic in caring for agin patients. Clin Geriatr Med. 2004 May; 20(2):223-35.  3. Coulter ID, Hurwitz EL, Aranow HU, Cassata DM, Beck JC. Chiropractic patients in a comprehensive home-based geriatric assessment, follow-up and health promotion program. Top Clin Chiroprac. 1996; 3(2) 46-55.  4. Rupert RL, Manello D, Sandefur R. Maintenance care: health promotion services administered to U.S. Chiropractic patients aged 65 and older, Part II. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Jan. 2000:23(1), pp10-19.

Editor & writer: David Coyne Writer:  Dr. Christian Guenette, DC