Easley Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as balanced as I used to be.”
This isn’t an uncommon conversation starter at Young Chiropractic from our Easley chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is important to prevent falls and associated issues that may come with it…like breaking something! Young 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 especially in terms of 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 of age who did not experience any problems with walking found that 20.4% couldn’t do a 10 second one-legged-stand which managed to increase the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test had an 84% higher risk of dying within in the study period (12 yrs). This observational study did not state 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, Young Chiropractic urges standing near to a tall chair to stabilize yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep practicing. you will improve over time! (2) Once you see some improvement, you will want to do more! 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 were different 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 designed 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 beneficial to your Easley chiropractor in determining baseline balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A recently published paper noted the usefulness 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 during office visits and in exercise sessions of practicing standing on one foot then the other at home, we will realize how well we can enhance your balance!
CONTACT Young 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 Easley chiropractic appointment today. We look forward to seeing how much steadier you feel!
