If your spine has a lean like that tower in Pisa …
Chiropractic keeps your spine healthy as you age
We’ve written before about how often our team sees older people with mobility issues, chronic pain, and poor posture that are obviously due to degeneration of the spine and discs.
Canes, walkers, and other mobility aids are the most visible signs of chronic issues that, in the majority of cases, could have been prevented had better care been taken of the spine at a younger age.
One of the most common conditions is a stooped posture, in which the entire spine appears hunched forward from the pelvis on up.
The greater the angle, the more serious the health effects will be.
We can say this with confidence because we have scores of anecdotal examples from our patient files.
But don’t just take our word for it
Rigorous scientific studies carried on outside the discipline of Chiropractic have proven it.
Take this Japanese study, “Spinal Posture in the Sagittal Plane is Associated with Future Dependence in Activities of Daily Living,” published in Oxford University’s The Journals of Gerontology series, May 2013. This study examined 804 men and women ages 65 to 94 over 4.5 years.
In a person with a healthy and aligned spine, the base of the neck is vertical with the sacrum – the central bone of your pelvis. If your posture is inclined forward from the pelvis, like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, that’s when the problems begin.
The study concluded that the greater this inclination, the greater the impact on independence and quality of life as you age.
Greater risks of falls, fractures, surgeries
Why?
Because it weakens your balance and gait. “Declines in balance and gait skills by inclination lead to falls and fractures,” the study concluded, which in turn can result in lost mobility and chronic pain.
Women are particularly susceptible to negative health effects, since this inclination is often paired with osteoporosis and hyperkyphosis (a humped back). They have “weaker back extensor strength, weaker lower extremity strength, slower gait, poorer balance, and greater body sway, which as a result gives them a propensity to fall,” the study found.
For men and women alike, this change in spinal posture can also change the alignment of the legs, leading to joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. In other words, it contributes to degeneration that can leave you facing a hip or knee replacement surgery.
Correction, recovery is possible
The good news for our Kanata neighbours suffering from this condition is it can be addressed with the possibility of full recovery if you let us take correction action soon enough. Even in more advanced cases, some measure of recovery and relief from any associated pain is possible.
That’s because we practice a rigorous and scientific chiropractic technique called Chiropractic Biophysics that addresses the root causes of musculoskeletal disorders that can lead to mobility issues later in life.
So if you or a member of your family is suffering from this kind of condition, please visit us for a no-obligation consult.