McHenry Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as steady as I once was.”
This isn’t an uncommon conversation starter at OrthoIllinois Chiropractic from our McHenry chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is crucial to avert falls and related problems that may come with a fall…like breaking something! OrthoIllinois Chiropractic offers some news about fall prevention and balance enhancement with spinal manipulation and balance practice.
BALANCE AND AGING
The 50s bring some hard to ignore changes particularly in relation to balance. Such changes in balance also increase the risk for falling and other health concerns. A study of 1702 people between 51 and 75 years old who had no issues with walking found that 20.4% couldn’t do a 10 second one-legged-stand which tended to intensify 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 period (12 yrs). This observational study didn’t declare cause/effect but suggested a link, a link that may insire middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, OrthoIllinois Chiropractic recommends standing near to a tall chair to stabilize yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep working on it. you will do better over time! (2) Once you add a few seconds, you’ll keep practicing! Proprioception exercises may help, too!
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO PRACTICE BALANCE
A study compared how known “fallers,” “nonfallers,” and young volunteers performed on a force plate measuring test for postural sway. None differed in transfer of weight. Younger volunteers 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 designed one-leg-stance test established who the “fallers” were 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 McHenry chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A newly 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 measured 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 realize how well we can improve your balance!
CONTACT OrthoIllinois 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.
Make your McHenry chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to seeing how much better balanced you are!
