When many of us think of chiropractic care patients, they tend to think of people who are suffering from car accident injuries, sports injuries, or work injuries. Yet one of the groups that can greatly benefit from chiropractic treatments are seniors.

You may ask why this type of treatment is beneficial for so many conditions. The answer is really quite simple.

The entire body and its functions are controlled by the brain. Communication between the brain and the body takes place through the nervous system. This system is located in the spinal cord. Each nerve root is housed in the spine and all the nerves that travel throughout the body through which these messages from the brain are sent begin at the nerve roots. The clearer the communication, the better the body operates. When there is spinal degeneration or limited mobility of the spine, this can have a negative impact on that brain to nerve communication.

Chiropractic adjustments can help with spinal joint mobility, which will help increase the nervous system communication ability. If “maintenance” of the spine’s health and mobility isn’t taken care of, this can result in issues that can have an impact of quality of life. This is why many people over time end up with poor posture (hunched over) and a significant reduction in motion range.

Over time, this “improper” motion of the spine leads to the degrading of all the spine, as well as affecting the health of the body’s joints and bones. Since the body is basically self-healing, it will try to correct this problem by adding new bone to stabilize this improper motion and other functioning. This is how arthritis begins.

There are many different forms of arthritis that seniors can suffer from, all caused by degenerative joint disease, which is really not a disease, but instead is caused by that prolonged improper function and motion described above. Chiropractors can help seniors who are suffering from the following types of arthritis:

  • Osteoarthritis: The loss of cartilage between joints that occurs as we get older can cause friction from joints rubbing together, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Chiropractic care can help restore spinal alignment and address the lubricant deficiency from lack of cartilage. Adjustments can also help alleviate pain by restoring proper nerve communication.  
  • Rheumatoid and Psoriatic Arthritis: Although these two types of arthritis are not caused by degeneration, they can still be successfully treated with chiropractic treatments. These two types of arthritis are caused by a decrease in fluid or joint tissue which causes the inflammation and pain that patients suffer. If there is a misalignment of the spine, the inflammation in the joints can worsen because of the lack of fluid and healthy blood flowing to the joints. Restoring nerve communication through adjustments can help reduce the inflammation and alleviate symptoms.

 

Resources:

Wikipedia, Chiropractic Care

Ameriwell Clinics, Chiropractor Riverdale, MD