If you’ve been following our blog, you know that chiropractic care is safe for people of all ages from newborns to seniors. As people age, there are unique health challenges they may face, such as arthritis, brittle bones, reduced flexibility and balance, and even joint degeneration. Chiropractic offers a drug-free and non-invasive solution to help seniors live the best quality life possible, so they can keep doing what they love most. Keep reading to check out the top benefits of chiropractic care for seniors.
1. Reduce Your Pain
Whether it’s due to an injury, illness, or recent surgery, many seniors experience pain on a regular basis. This pain can interfere with a person’s ability to enjoy life and spend it with their loved ones. Chiropractic care provides natural, long-term pain relief without any drugs or invasive surgeries that are expensive and come with unpleasant side effects and long recovery rates. Indeed, chiropractors will focus on identifying and treating the root cause of the patient’s pain. This is often a spinal misalignment, which causes pain, discomfort, and other health risks. After the spine is properly restored, chiropractors can focus on reducing any pain and discomfort, such as muscle tightness or joint stiffness. When a patient is not in constant pain, this will make it easier for them to build up their strength and tackle life with more energy.
2. Improve Your Balance and Coordination
As people age, their balance and coordination may worsen due to an injury or degenerative changes in the cervical spine (neck). Small receptors at the base of the neck help the brain know where the limbs are functioning. These receptors do not function as well as they use to for seniors, which makes it more challenging to understand how the body is moving. Indeed, this can lead to falls, as well as reduced balance, mobility, and getting up. Chiropractic care is an effective solution to improve the communication in the spine and help stimulate the receptors to work more efficiently. When these receptors are working properly, seniors will experience improved balance and coordination.
3. Increase Your Range of Motion
Having less range of motion is a common concern for seniors. After all, this can limit your ability to do what you love, such as travelling, playing with grandchildren, or golfing. Chiropractic care can help increase a patient’s range of motion and reduce the likelihood of experiencing pain while on the go. This will have a positive impact on their daily life. Chiropractors will do this by restoring the spine and joints into proper alignment, reducing any muscle tightness, and improving flexibility. Additionally, the chiropractor may also recommend specific exercises to strengthen weaker muscles, which will also help boost your mobility.
4. Improve Your Overall Health
When seniors receive regular chiropractic treatment, this has a positive ripple effect on their health aside from the benefits mentioned above. Indeed, seniors may notice improvements to their sleep, mood, and energy levels. By feeling more rested and having more energy, patients will achieve lasting health and wellness. Most importantly, this can be accomplished without any harsh drugs and their known side effects, such as blurry vision, confusion, dizziness, and stomach issues. These side effects are the last thing anyone needs, especially seniors that face new challenges with their aging health.
5. Maintain Your Independence
As you can see, there are several significant benefits of chiropractic care for seniors. When seniors can take control of their health and well-being, they are more likely to be able to live at home. Since maintaining one’s independence is a top priority for seniors, this is a major benefit to chiropractic care. Indeed, patients that receive regular chiropractic adjustments will be less likely to become injured or fall, which can lead to a costly hospital or ER visit and potentially a nursing home. In a 1996 study, Dr. Ian Coulter studied the benefits of chiropractic care and exercise among a group of elderly people in Canada. Dr. Coulter found that after three years of receiving chiropractic care, only 5 percent of the seniors in a study were living in nursing homes, while 48 percent of those that did not receive chiropractic care lived in a nursing home.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s latest article. If you or a loved one are considering chiropractic care, we encourage you to check out West Michigan Chiropractic. We would love to become your new Portage Chiropractor and help you live life to its fullest potential.