Getting Older Can Increase Your Risk of Falling But, Regular Chiropractic Care Can Help Reduce It.
Can the Risk of Falling Really Increase as You Age?
Are you aging and finding that you or your older adult friends are prone to falling down more than when you were, say, at 40? This is not your imagination! It really is more common to fall down as you age; about ⅓ more likely to be exact. Why is this? This can be due to a lack of balance, weakened motor control, and just a general lessened awareness of what your feet are doing! Admittedly, this may sound silly, but there are real risks posed by falling, especially as we enter older age groups.
Falling can lead to hospital admissions, broken bones, and long-term disabilities. This is not meant to scare you but to let help you be proactive to staying healthy! Along with staying active as you age, there is another important thing you may be leaving out of your health routine that can help prevent falls from occurring!
Chiropractic Care Can Affect Brain Function
Studies are showing that chiropractic care can have a direct impact on falling, or rather, not falling! One study in particular that was conducted in New Zealand looked at how exactly chiropractic care can affect brain function. Brain function relates to our capacity to stand/walk properly and know what our feet are doing and where they are going. This study involved 60 older adults; half of the adults received chiropractic care over 12 weeks and half of the adults did not, acting as the control group for the study.
The study discovered 3 key connections between regular chiropractic care (over a 12 week period) and improved brain-body connection:
- The group receiving chiropractic care was able to take steps faster than the controlled group not receiving care.
- The group receiving chiropractic care was able to accurately process visual and audible information better than the controlled group not receiving care.
- The group receiving chiropractic care were able to know where their foot was/what their foot was doing better than the controlled group not receiving care.
Notably, these chiropractic patients were not receiving chiropractic care specifically on their ankles/feet/legs. They were having their spines adjusted that consequently allowed for better and faster brain-body communication. Additionally, a significant change was not seen before 4 weeks of care. This means that chiropractic care is not an overnight fix but rather a cumulative approach that requires commitment, consistency, and time to show results when it comes to better brain-body communication.
Create a Health Maintenance Routine
Mitigating risk factors associated with falling can greatly improve your quality of life and allow you to continue doing the things you love, be it gardening, playing with your kids/grandkids, volunteering in the community, or whatever else it is you love to do!
If you want to help reduce your risk of falls especially as you age, consider regular exercise, focus on optimal nutrition and include chiropractic care as part of your health maintenance routine. Visiting your local Chiropractor regularly can certainly benefit you. At Santé Chiropractic and Wellness Centre, we are happy to serve our community as Dr. Nathalie Beauchamp has been an Ottawa Chiropractor for over 25 years.
Here is what you can expect if you come in for a New Patient Consultation at our clinic. We’d love to be part of your wellness team: Schedule an Appointment today
If you are already one of our current patients, schedule an appointment today.
References
Holt KR. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care in Improving Sensorimotor Function Associated with Falls Risk in Older People. University of Auckland, 2014.
Holt KR, Haavik H, Lee AC, et al. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to Improve Sensorimotor Function Associated with Falls Risk in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Manipulative Phsyiol Ther, 2016.