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How Chiropractic Care Keeps a Body in Motion

How Chiropractic Care Keeps a Body in Motion

bartlett-joshua-palmer-200-300.jpgMost of us are probably aware that staying in good physical condition is essential to maintaining an active lifestyle, especially as we get older. And some of us may even be aware of the links between mobility and independence and social and psychological well-being. Unfortunately, as we age, many of us are challenged to remain active because of disease, pain, stiffness or chronic or acute injuries. These problems are affecting larger numbers of people as we are living longer lifespans.

Now, a very interesting study from the University of Iowa suggests that older people who receive chiropractic care may benefit from a “protective effect” with respect to their overall health and physical capabilities. The research team came to its conclusions by comparing the experience of a group of Medicare recipients who received chiropractic care to the experience of a group of Medicare recipients who did not receive it.

Chiropractic Care vs. Standard Medical Care

The study, which was published recently in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, examined the medical records of over 1,000 senior citizens (minimum age 70) who had a back-related condition such as a musculoskeletal disease, sprain or strain, or dislocation that led to a Medicare claim. The researchers compared the experience of those who received 12 chiropractic care visits over several weeks for their condition with the experience of those who received standard medical care, which was comprised of 1-2 visits with a medical doctor over the same time period. The aim was to determine whether there was a difference in health outcomes, physical limitations and the ability to carry out daily activities between the two groups. The researchers obtained the data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) and looked at specific variables such as patients’ ability to eat, dress and bathe, sit in or get up from a chair, reach, stoop, or walk across a room. They also considered depressive symptoms and overall self-reports of satisfaction with their care based on the treatment and its cost.

Conclusions: Chiropractic Care is Protective for the Senior Population

The researchers concluded that those senior citizens at least 70 years of age who had chiropractic care had less physical deterioration and reported better overall health. Specifically, they had less difficulty with daily activities such as walking and lifting, and fewer doctor visits and hospitalizations. They were also generally more satisfied with their care and its cost, both during and after the treatment. What’s more, the patients who had chiropractic care exercised more and even reported fewer depressive symptoms. The authors concluded that chiropractic care had a protective effect on this group of patients—making it less likely that they would experience declines in overall health and physical activity levels, thus promoting a higher quality of life.

This research demonstrates that chiropractic care can provide benefits for seniors that go far beyond just relieving back pain. It can have a profound impact on all dimensions of life, from the physical to the psychological, just when we need it most.

Why Age and Aging Are NOT the Same Thing

Why Age and Aging Are NOT the Same Thing

father-and-son-hiking-200-300Almost every human society has a way to mark the passage of time. Similarly, nearly every human society also celebrates the development of its people in one way or another. For some, it’s simply about remembering a specific day on the calendar as a family or community—a birthday. For others, it’s about recognizing special rights of passage that coincide with particular ages. Some do both. However, it is also true to say that we have mixed feelings about getting older. There’s a good reason for this.

Over the years, we gain valuable experiences that build knowledge, wisdom and (if we’re lucky) close personal and professional relationships. But the vast majority of us also lose something in the process—our physical—and sometime mental—health and well-being. Even if we don’t encounter much in the way of illness or injury, most of us simply won’t have the strength, endurance, flexibility, balance and coordination on our 50th birthday that we did on our 25th, at the peak of young adulthood. For many people, there is also an eventual cognitive decline—we can’t remember things the way we could when we were younger, it takes us longer to process information and learning new things can seem more difficult. But here’s the good news: your biological age is NOT necessarily the same as your chronological age, and there are specific things you can do to maintain your body’s youthfulness.

Age and aging AREN’T necessarily as closely related as many people believe. Interestingly, a growing body of evidence suggests that everybody grows older at a different pace. Researchers who study biological aging have noticed that some people age much faster than normal while others age much more slowly. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article describing one biological aging study: “Most of the study participants aged one biological year for each chronological year. Some, however, put on as much as three biological years for every one year, while others didn’t increase in biological age at all during the 12-year span the study surveyed. Using a subset of the biomarkers, the researchers calculated that at 38 years old, the participants’ biological ages ranged from 28 to 61.” This is an ENORMOUS difference! What could possible account for it?

While much of the aging process remains a mystery, we are learning more about it all the time. Aging is influenced by our genes, environment, and lifestyle. By the time we reach middle and old age, these factors have had time to make a significant impact on our health. Some of these influences may be positive and others negative.

Genetics

Let’s start with heredity. Genes are powerful predictors of longevity—but there is more to the story than that. Family history definitely influences your health and how long you will likely live, but your day-to-day behaviors can make a difference in the power of genetic predisposition. In other words, you can affect your own longevity and quality of life positively or negatively to some degree based on your own choices about things like diet, exercise, sleep and stress management as well as preventive healthcare. New genetic tests make it possible to know if you are predisposed to some types of diseases so that you can make better decisions earlier in your life.

Environment

The environment can clearly affect our health, particularly the places where we spend the most time living, working and playing. Our exposure to the sun, infectious diseases and toxic chemicals are some obvious physical environmental factors. But there are some less obvious social and psychological ones to consider as well. These include factors like the amount of stress we’re under at work and at home, and the quality of our relationships. As with genetics, environment alone doesn’t guarantee any particular outcomes with respect to our longevity or quality of life. How we interact with our environment and respond to its opportunities and challenges is a very important variable.

Lifestyle Choices

Lifestyle choices such as the food we eat, the drinks and drugs we consume, how much we exercise and how much we sleep can all play a very significant role in our own rate of aging. What researchers and clinicians cannot tell us yet is which of these factors will make the greatest difference in the life of any one individual. That said, we can say a few things with a very high degree of confidence based on our own training and experience.

Nutrition and exercise matter—a lot. And—according to the most up-to-date research—it’s never too late to benefit from eating better and exercising more. Even elderly people can see a meaningful improvement in their health and well-being and a reduction in the incidence of some diseases by starting a healthy diet and exercise program suitable for their age and health status. No matter how old you are, maintaining a healthy weight and a moderate level of fitness will give you a far better chance of enjoying a longer, happier life than someone who leads a sedentary lifestyle.

Some behaviors just aren’t good for you. Smoking, excessive drinking and drug use are all significant predictors of disease and death. If you do any of these things, stopping can have an immediate impact on your likely health and longevity. If you don’t do any of these things, don’t start.

Strong support systems help reinforce healthy habits. It’s true that we all “get along with a little help from our friends.” Surrounding yourself with other people who also lead a healthy lifestyle makes it more likely that you’ll continue on the right path. Family, friends and colleagues who value nutrition, exercise, quality sleep and work-life balance can make a big difference!

Proactive, preventive healthcare is key. While we all do our best at home and at work to avoid illness and injury, it’s also important to work with your doctors to monitor your health and to address any current or potential problems as early as possible.

As you can see, there is no single “magic bullet” to delay or reverse the aging process. However, by being aware of your own family health history, environment and lifestyle options, you can make more thoughtful choices that can add year to your life and life to your years. If you or someone you care about has questions or concerns related to health and wellness, please call or visit our office. We’re here to help!

More Exercise Now Means More Independence in Your Golden Years

More Exercise Now Means More Independence in Your Golden Years

Senior couple on walkWe all know that exercise is good for us at any age. What is becoming more apparent, however, is that developing the habits of regular exercise in the present—meaning at whatever age you happen to be right now —will pay off for you in the future.

A recent study discussed in the January edition of the journal Nursing Older People suggests that exercise plays a crucial part in enabling older people to retain their mobility and improve their overall quality of life. The study examined the effects of a three-month, twice-weekly exercise class on people aged 60 and older and found that the participants’ overall strength, fitness, coordination, and balance improved. More importantly, the participants in the class were then motivated to continue exercising after the study ended, partly because the exercise classes helped them to overcome their sense of social isolation.

A similar study published in the American Journal of Medicine provided even more evidence that exercise can provide not only a longer life, but a more meaningful one. Dr. Preethi Srikanthan and his associates at UCLA found that the more muscle mass older people have, the less likely they are to die prematurely. Their studies indicate that the amount of muscle mass is a better predictor of both longevity and the ability to perform normal functions than body mass index (BMI) measurements, because increased muscle mass decreases their metabolic risk.

Combined with other alarming results from studies on the dangers of inactivity and sitting too much (one such study indicates that every hour spent sitting per day after the age of 60 decreases your ability to perform normal activities like dressing, bathing, and walking by 50%), these findings make a strong case for preparing for one’s golden years by exercising more now, while it’s easier. Developing healthy exercise habits can even be seen as preventative, in that it seems to reduce the risk of developing disabling diseases. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who were more fit in their middle age had significantly lower rates of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, lung cancer, obstructive pulmonary conditions, and even Alzheimer’s disease when they reached their forties and fifties. In this study, for every unit of improvement on a standard scale of physical fitness, the subjects experienced a 20% reduction in the incidence of the eight chronic illnesses being tracked. Those with the highest levels of physical fitness when they were young developed the fewest chronic conditions during the last five years of their lives.

So if you’re concerned about living a longer, more productive and satisfying life, one way to achieve it seems clear—start exercising more now and continue to exercise regularly. The stronger and more fit you are today will, to some extent, determine how strong and fit you are when you get older and whether you’ll be able to get around and enjoy your life when you reach your golden years.