By The Health Connection
Did You Know?
Chiropractic care is not only a safe and effective option for aging adults, but it is an essential cornerstone of healthy aging and longevity.
Let’s talk about falls …
As we age, our risk of falling increases. Every year, one-third of the aging population experiences a fall. Falls, if you didn’t know, are the leading cause of injury-related hospital admissions and deaths in the elderly.
Chiropractic care can help you maintain balance and prevent you from falling over!
How so, you might ask …
Well, it’s pretty simple. The part of our brain responsible for communicating joint position and movement is referred to as the cerebellum. This particular part of the brain is stimulated or regulated by normal, healthy movement of the joints in our spine and extremities. By restoring and maintaining healthy joint mobility, the cerebellum can more effectively receive and send information to our limbs, improving balance, stability and coordination. Pretty amazing, right?
I recently came across a few studies that measured these variables and thought I would share them with you all.
A New Zealand study explored the role of brain function in preventing falls. Half of the participants in the study received three months of chiropractic care, while the other half did not. Researchers used a measure called "choice stepping reaction time," which gets participants to stand on panels that light up. When the panels light up, you're instructed to stand on the light as quickly as possible.
After 12 weeks, researchers found a dramatic improvement in the chiropractic group compared to the control. In addition, findings also demonstrated improvements in the chiropractic group to be 2.5 times greater than a large clinical trial that looked at six months of exercise on the same stepping task.
What can we take from this information? Well, we know that if you are able to take a quicker step, you're less likely to fall.
Researchers also looked at something called multi-sensory integration, which is just a fancy term used to describe our ability to process information in and around us via our senses. Older adults have a harder time processing sound and sight together, and people who fall are particularly challenged with integrating sound and sight as well.
What role does chiropractic care have on multi-sensory integration in the aging population? Researchers divided participants into two groups: a chiropractic group and the control. The chiropractic group was better able to properly access sound and information after four weeks compared to the control and even better after 12 weeks! As a side note, chiropractic participants added they felt physically better too!
Chiropractic care helps you stay active, healthy and alert. Live out your golden years with peace and comfort.
Contact us today to schedule your adjustment! And if there are any friends, family members, co-workers or neighbors who could benefit from this heightened sense of body awareness and risk prevention, feel free to share this information with them.
Sources:
1. Holt KR. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care in Sensorimotor Function Associated with Falls Risks in Older People University of Auckland, 2014.
2. Holt KR, Haavik H, Lee AC, et al. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to improve Sensorimotor Function Associated With Falls Risks in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2016
3. Weigel PA, Hockenberry J, Bentler SE, et al. The comparative effect of episodes of chiropractic and medical treatment on the health of older adults. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014;37(3):143-54.
4. Weigel PA, Hockenberry JM, Wolinsky FD. Chiropractic use in the Medicare population: prevalence, patterns, and associations with 1-year changes in health and satisfaction with care. J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2014;37(8):542-51.
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