Millions of maturing individuals regain control of their lives each year with the help of Chiropractors. The goal of our treatments is to diminish and eliminate acute and chronic pain while increasing flexibility for improved mobility and function, increased strength, enhance balance and improve one’s overall quality of life.

Chiropractic care incorporates adjustive techniques to the spine and extremity joints, soft tissue therapies, with dietary and nutritional analysis, exercise and fitness goals and a plethora of other safe and natural methods to improve your overall health while helping you enjoy a vibrant and productive life. Let us show you how to get the most out of your body so you can get the most out of life!

Why Chiropractic Care Is Essential For the Maturing Adult

Chiropractic Care is of extreme importance for the maturing and elderly adult due to the dramatic changes that can occur in the spine as we increase in age. As we age, our tissues such as spinal discs, facet joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and other body tissues become weaker, less hydrated and can loose the ability to withstand normal stresses. As a result, pain from spinal degeneration or arthritis become more outstanding, tissue injury from seemingly normal events occurs more often and healing time from injures takes longer.

Our Chiropractors take into consideration the exact nature of the aging spine and accessory parts present to provide an effective, safe and non-invasive treatment protocol specific to your unique case, history, age, health and attitude. Gentle adjustive techniques, therapies and the incorporation of stretching and exercise help in reducing pain, spinal stress and increases overall flexibly, mobility and degeneration is minimized.  

Benefits Chiropractic Care Provide the Maturing Adult

Routine Chiropractic care has a number of benefits which are especially important for the maturing adult:

ü      relief from spinal and extremity pain

ü      decreased muscle spasms and stiffness

ü      increased range-of-motion and mobility

ü      increased balance and coordination

ü      improved joint healing

ü      better sense of well being

ü      increased energy

ü      enhanced healing of tissues

ü      diminished tissue inflammation

ü      decreased arthritis and arthritic joint pain

ü      lessening of spinal stress and subsequent degeneration

ü      minimized risk of fall injures

ü      overall better quality of life

Studies Showing the Benefits of Chiropractic Care and Aging

In a recent study that evaluated 414 elderly individuals, with an average age of 80, and compared those who were under chiropractic care and those who were not. A number of significant finding were recorded by the researchers which include:

ü      13% of those who utilized chiropractic care rated their health as fair or poor compared to 32% in the non-chiropractic group.

ü      87% of persons under chiropractic care rated their health as good or excellent compared with only 68% in the non-chiropractic group

ü      the majority of individuals who used chiropractic care reported increased levels of strenuous exercise

ü      44% of those under chiropractic care reported having arthritic symptoms compared with 66% in the non-chiropractic group

ü      at 3 years follow-up, less than 5% of those who used chiropractic care were in a nursing home while a staggering 48% of those who did not use chiropractic care were utilizing a nursing home

ü      at 3 year follow-up, only 26% of individuals who used chiropractic care were hospitalized compared to 48% of those in the non-chiropractic group

Coulter, PhD et al, Chiropractic and Care for the Elderly. Top Clin Chiro 1996;3 (2):46-55.

WHAT CAN CHIROPRACTIC CARE DO FOR ME?

Chiropractic Increases Spinal Range-of-Motion

With the ability to increase spinal range-of-motion can have a positive impact in many ways. For some, it translates into an extra 20-30 yards of distance with their driver on the golf course. For others, an increased range-of-motion means the ability to bend down and pickup the grandchildren.

Chiropractic care has a long standing history of helping people just like you reach their desired goals through increases in spinal range-of-motion. One of the top reasons why elite professional sports teams and athletes are treated by chiropractors prior to and during sporting events is because increases in spinal range-of-motion can transpire immediately following chiropractic treatments.

Chiropractic Decreases the Frequency and Severity of Back, Neck and Head Pain

The doctors at Gonstead Family Chiropractic utilize specific patient analysis and treatment protocols that have consistently shown to be one of the most effective and safest forms of care to treat the majority of neck, back and head pain. This is due to the fact that most causes of neck, back and head disorders are directly related to abnormalities of soft tissue components within the spine – of which our Doctors of Chiropractic are specifically trained to identify and treat.

Chiropractic Increases Balance and Coordination

As we age, coordination and balance become increasingly impaired. Over the years, studies have shown that joint receptors of the upper cervical spine are largely responsible for providing the brain with essential information important to our coordination and balance.

According to Dr. Guyton, MD:

By far the most important proprioceptive information needed for maintenance of equilibrium is that derived from the joint receptors of the neck.

Guyton, MD. Textbook of Medical Physiology, 9^th edition. WB Saunders, Philadelphia 1996;714.

Studies have also shown that regular chiropractic care can help restore balance and coordination by stimulating joint receptors, called mechanoreceptors, in the cervical spine. This stimulation, through the chiropractic adjustment, is thought to normalize or restore joint receptor function which leads to improved coordination and balance.

Chiropractic Can Decrease Fall Injuries, as well as Other Injuries

Injuries are seen at all ages, but fall injuries are extremely more prevalent in the maturely aged population and are usually one of the most detrimental dealings that can occur to the older individual.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are responsible for 90% of the 850,000 bone fractures which occur annually among Americans past the age of 65.

Chiropractors reduce the risk of falls by:

1.      utilizing specific chiropractic adjustive techniques in the cervical spine to normalize cervical joint mechanoreceptors which provide the brain with important coordination and balance information.

2.      utilizing stretching and exercise programs designed to increase flexibility, strength, coordination and balance, and mobility

3.      utilizing nutritional counseling and diet to increase energy levels, improve nutritional status and increase overall sense of well-being.

The above benefits have all been shown to minimize other types of injuries as well as improve the outcome for injuries already sustained.

Chiropractic Increases Joint Nutrition and Depresses Spinal Joint Arthritis

Spinal discs, similar to other joints, eliminate their waste and receive their nutrition through movement. Without adequate movement, adhesions and scar tissue will soon develop in the joints leading to degeneration.

Chiropractic care incorporates restoring and optimizing spinal and extra-spinal joint motion through the chiropractic adjustive technique which brings in vital nutrients into the joint and minimizes degenerative joint changes which lead to arthritis.

Chiropractic Decreases Joint and Tissue Degeneration through Optimizing Biomechanics

In a similar fashion to an out-of-aligned wheel on an automobile, misaligned spinal joint(s) with abnormal biomechanics will wear out prematurely. As all moving parts eventually wear down over time, it’s important to get the maximum “mileage” out of your spine, especially since it’s the only one you’ll ever get.

Chiropractic care focuses on optimizing spinal biomechanics which reduces spinal stress and, as a result, decreases spinal degeneration and other arthritic changes.

Chiropractic Increases Health and Well-Being

Life is far more enjoyable when you are free from stiff joints, nagging pain and you can do the things you enjoy (golf, gardening, grandchildren, shopping, etc). Staying healthy, feeling good and doing the things that make us happy are what keeps us moving forward day to day.

Regular Gonstead Chiropractic care in those over age 40 is aimed at increasing your quality of life and not just the elimination of pain. DO NOT cheat yourself from living life to its fullest.

Call today and let us get you started on a personalized plan to good health!