St Peters Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as steady as I once was.”
This is not an unusual conversation starter at Old Mill Chiropractic from our St Peters chiropractic patients and/or their family members. Balance is key to prevent falls and associated problems that may come with a fall…like breaking something! Old Mill Chiropractic offers some news about fall prevention and balance enhancement with spinal manipulation and balance practice.
BALANCE AND AGING
The 50s bring some noticeable changes especially in terms of balance. Such changes in balance also increase the risk for falling and other health concerns. A report of 1702 people between 51 and 75 years of age who had no problems with walking found that 20.4% could not do a 10 second one-legged-stand which tended to increase the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Not being able to do the 10 second balance test was associated with an 84% higher risk of dying within in the study time (12 years). This observational study didn’t state cause/effect but suggested a connection, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, Old Mill Chiropractic urges standing near to a counter to stabilize yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep practicing. you will improve over time! (2) Once you add a few seconds, you’ll want to do more! Proprioception exercises may help, too!
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRACTICE BALANCE
A research project compared how known “fallers,” “nonfallers,” and young volunteers did on a force plate measuring test for postural sway. None differed in weight transfer. Younger ones reduced postural sway within 2 seconds while older ones never did and swayed the same the whole time. Older “fallers” swayed significantly more. This specially made one-leg-stance test determined the “fallers” better – 100% - than other more common tests to measure balance – five-times-sit-to-stand (69%), timed-up-and-go (48%), usual one-leg-stance without special parameters as in this research study (62%). (3) Tests like these are quite helpful to your St Peters chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A recently published paper noted the benefit of (Cox®) flexion distraction spinal manipulation for lumbar spinal stenosis patients by enhancing their balance test scores - Timed Up and Go and Five Times Sit to Stand Test – and decreasing postural sway and entropy (forward/backward movement) as determined on a force plate. (4) That is so good! Between our in-office chiropractic treatments with Cox® Technic in the office and your practicing standing on one foot then the other at home, we will see how well we can improve your balance!
CONTACT Old Mill Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates relieving chiropractic care and re-establishing balance via The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for patients with spinal stenosis.
Schedule your St Peters chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to hearing how much better balanced you are!
