As you age, you can become more susceptible to aches and pains, injuries, and ailments. While there are many factors that influence the way you feel, your quality of life will always depend somewhat on the health of your spine and nervous system. This is where Chiropractic care enters the equation.
The basic idea behind Chiropractic care is that a person’s body can heal itself with the help of physical, hands-on manipulation from qualified professionals. It’s a form of complementary medicine that doesn’t involve the ingestion of any substances.
In simple terms, Chiropractic care involves high velocity, low amplitude movements to the spine and joints to help realign and alter the function of the nervous system. This spinal manipulation may help relieve pain from conditions that affect the body’s musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic care focuses on the spine, but can be applied to other parts of the body.
Chiropractic care aims to relieve pain and assist with conditions that arise from the bones, cartilage, connective tissue, joints, and muscles. As you age, this pain can often worsen, and can even become debilitating if not addressed correctly.
What Are The Benefits Of Chiropractic Care?
Almost 70% of people in the US experience some sort of chronic pain stemming from the spine. One of the benefits that may be experienced from Chiropractic care is the easing of back pain.
Treatment of the spine may be an effective alternative to more invasive and costly medical treatments such as surgery, injections, or physical therapy.
The American College of Physicians recommends that people with back pain should seek non-medical treatment before proceeding to costly healthcare alternatives. Treatments recommmended included spinal manipulation performed by a qualified Chiropractor, as well as meditation, yoga, tai chi and acupuncture (to name a view).
Chiropractic care may also lead to improved immune health. Care may restore function to nervous system cells and ensure that they all operate the way they are optimised to do.
Having a strong immune system ensures that your body is better equipped to fight viral and bacterial infections. This in turn ensures that your body functions with high levels of energy and has the strength to fight off viruses. In light of the current Covid-19 pandemic, this is more important in the present day than ever before.
Another possible benefit of Chiropractic care is the fact that having your spine aligned may lead to a vast improvement in your range of movement. This means that your body will cope better with daily tasks, your balance may improve, and you’ll enjoy more benefits from exercising.
Ideally, there will be no more pain when climbing out of the car, no more stiffness when getting out of bed, and bending over or reaching for things will become easier. These may sound like simple tasks, but many older people feel pain when attempting these motions, leading to a more restrictive lifestyle.
The Role of Chiropractic Care in Ageing and Older Patients
Chiropractic care can have immense health benefits for people who are above the age of 45. As you start to get older, your bones start to become more brittle and are more prone to breaks. Joints are more prone to sprains if not properly cared for.
A large number of patients who recieve Chiropractor are older and elderly people. US studies have indicated that almost 14% of Chiropractic patients in the US are 65 years or older.
Exercise, eating well, not drinking or smoking are some of the best practices that you can observe to stay young. Chiropractic care is another.
Considering a Chiropractor is a proactive way to combat the inevitability of ageing and looking after your musculoskeletal health.
How May A Chiropractor Help With Healthy Ageing?
Research has indicated there is a link between ageing and back pain. This is because as we age, our spinal discs begin to dry out and no longer cushion our surrounding bones and skeletal system. This is a reason why elderly people can lose a few inches from their height in their later years.
Having adjustments performed by a qualified Chiropractor may be able to keep your spine free from unwanted interference. Keeping your spinal discs aligned may also help preserve them for a longer period. Chiropractic care may be an excellent tool to prevent an ageing body from experiencing unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Another potential benefit of Chiropractic care relates to the epidemic of elderly people falling and injuring themselves. Physical conditions and chronic pain in the back and the legs can cause older people to become unbalanced.
Regular Chiropractic care may help improve coordination of elderly people and in turn, their balance – potentially reducing the risk of falls and therefore experience fewer injuries.
A More Comfortable Life
Chiropractic care may lead to a number of health benefits that can greatly improve your quality of life, especially as you age. While everyone at any age can benefit from corrective alignment—even babies—the older you are, the more chance of bone density loss, conditions like osteoarthritis, injury, and other issues.
Studies show that the way you sit says a lot about you. As you get older it’s essential that you never underestimate the importance of a healthy spine and good posture.
Ageing isn’t something you can avoid, but there are ways to ensure you stay comfortable and healthy.
If you’re experiencing age-related aches and pains, it’s a good idea to chat to a Chiropractor to see if they can help.
Article contributed by Ellen Klein, Editor at Sleep Junkie
Total Health 
