Chiropractic Care for Healthy Aging: A Shelburne, VT Chiropractor’s Perspective

Avoid Surgery
Surgery can be risky for seniors due to a variety of factors, including their age, overall health status, and the potential for complications during or after the procedure. Older adults may be more vulnerable to complications such as infections, blood clots, or adverse reactions to anesthesia. Additionally, seniors may have underlying health conditions that could increase their risk for surgical complications.

Chiropractic care helps with injury recovery by promoting natural healing processes in the body. At Wellspring Chiropractic, we use a variety of techniques, exercises, and lifestyle guidance to help patients regain strength and mobility after an injury while reducing pain and inflammation associated with injuries.

Chiropractors use non-invasive techniques, such as spinal manipulation, to help prevent injuries by promoting proper alignment and movement of the spine and other joints. This care can help reduce the risk of falls and other accidents that could lead to injury.

In some cases, chiropractic care may be a preferred alternative to surgery, particularly for musculoskeletal issues such as back pain or joint problems.

Mood Booster
Seniors are at an increased risk for depression and anxiety due to changes in physical health, social isolation, and the loss of loved ones. It's important for seniors to maintain their mental health through regular check-ins with healthcare providers, staying socially engaged, and engaging in activities that bring them joy.

An elevated mood can keep you healthy in several ways. When you are in a good mood, you are more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, such as exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and avoiding harmful substances like alcohol and drugs. Additionally, positive emotions can boost your immune system, reduce inflammation, and lower your risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Chiropractic care can boost your mood and reduce stress and anxiety in several ways. Chiropractic adjustments can help improve the functioning of the nervous system, which can help regulate mood and reduce stress levels. Additionally, chiropractic care can help reduce muscle and joint tension, which can help relieve physical symptoms of stress and anxiety. At Wellspring Chiropractic, our care includes lifestyle guidance on exercise, nutrition, and stress reduction recommendations, which can help improve overall well-being and reduce stress levels.

Better Sleep
Sleep is critical at any stage of life because it is essential for maintaining physical health, cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life. Sleep is especially important for seniors as they tend to have more difficulty sleeping and are at increased risk for sleep-related problems.

The benefits of getting good sleep include:

• Improved physical health: Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy immune system, regulating hormones, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It also decreases the risk of falls, especially in seniors with balance problems.
• Improved cognitive function: Good sleep is critical for optimal brain function, including memory consolidation, learning, and problem-solving, slowing cognitive decline and decreasing the risk of dementia.
• Improved emotional well-being: Sleep is essential for regulating mood, reducing stress, and promoting emotional resilience.
• Improved overall quality of life: Good sleep is critical for maintaining energy, productivity, and overall well-being.

Chiropractic care can improve the quality and quantity of sleep by addressing underlying musculoskeletal problems contributing to sleep problems.

Balanced Body
Seniors are more at risk for falls due to a variety of factors, including:

• Reduced muscle strength and flexibility
• Decreased balance and coordination
• Visual and sensory impairments
• Medications that can cause dizziness, lightheadedness, or confusion
• Chronic health conditions such as arthritis or Parkinson's disease
• Environmental hazards such as slippery floors, poor lighting, or uneven surfaces

Falls can have serious consequences for seniors, including:

• Fractures, particularly hip fractures, which can lead to reduced mobility and independence
• Head injuries, which can be especially dangerous for older adults
• Fear of falling, which can lead to social isolation and reduced physical activity
• Reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs

Chiropractic care can help improve balance and coordination by addressing neuromusculoskeletal imbalances and promoting overall health and wellness. Chiropractors can use various techniques, such as spinal adjustments, soft tissue therapy, and exercise prescription, to improve joint mobility, reduce pain and inflammation, and enhance nervous system function. By restoring proper alignment and movement in the body, chiropractic care can help seniors move more freely and confidently, reducing their risk of falls.

At Wellspring Chiropractic, we use a variety of techniques to improve balance and prevent falls in senior patients. These may include:

• Gentle, specific spinal adjustments to increase proprioception, which is your sense of where your body is in space, as well as improve joint mobility and reduce pain
• Brain-based approaches addressing cortical and cerebellar imbalances
• Extremity work to address problems in feet, knees, and hips
• Soft tissue supportive procedures to release tension and improve circulation, working with muscles and posture
• Exercise prescription for improving strength, flexibility, and coordination
• Nutritional counseling to support overall health and wellness
• Environmental modification to reduce hazards in the home or workplace

Natural Pain Relief
Like the rest of our body, our joints were designed to last us our whole life without deterioration. So why do joints start to hurt for many people as they age? Is it simply wear and tear, and is it inevitable? Achy joints have everything to do with inflammatory lifestyles, traumas that never healed properly, and bad habits, like poor posture and sedentary lifestyles. It is commonly thought that arthritis leads to achy joints, but arthritis doesn’t happen randomly or simply from the passage of time. It isn’t aging itself but the decades of stress and inflammatory lifestyle behaviors accumulated over time. This then leads to arthritis. Even those with arthritis commonly say they have good days and bad days. What can be done to reconcile the accumulated stresses and bad habits so that there are more good days and fewer bad days?

Several things can help keep joints healthy, including regular exercise, a healthy anti-inflammatory diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and avoiding injury. Exercise can help strengthen the muscles around the joints, improve flexibility, and reduce inflammation. A diet rich in nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants can also help reduce inflammation and promote joint health. Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce the strain on the joints, particularly in weight-bearing joints like the hips and knees. Avoiding injury using proper techniques during physical activity and protecting the joints during repetitive tasks can also help keep joints healthy. Chiropractic care is better than taking pain medication for joint pain, although both approaches can be effective for managing pain depending on the cause and severity of the pain, chiropractic care improves alignment, reduces inflammation, and alleviate pain by addressing the underlying cause of the pain, without dangerous side effects and addictions.