Murfreesboro Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !

“I’m just not as steady as I used to be.”

This isn’t an unusual conversation starter at Most Chiropractic Clinic from our Murfreesboro chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is crucial to prevent falls and related problems that may come with a fall…like breaking something! Most Chiropractic Clinic presents some news regarding 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 did not experience any problems with walking found that 20.4% could not perform a 10 second one-legged-stand which managed to intensify the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test was associated with an 84% greater risk of dying within in the study period (12 years). This observational study did not state cause/effect but proposed a link, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, Most Chiropractic Clinic urges standing near to a tall chair to stabilize yourself if necessary. If today only 3 seconds are possible, keep working on it. You’ll improve as you practice! (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 did on a force plate gauging 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 commonly used ways 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 Murfreesboro chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.

ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL

A recently published paper described the benefit of (Cox®) flexion distraction spinal manipulation for lumbar spinal stenosis patients by improving their balance test scores - Timed Up and Go and Five Times Sit to Stand Test – and reducing 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 realize how well we can improve your balance!

CONTACT Most Chiropractic Clinic

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes relieving chiropractic care and re-establishing balance via The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for patients with spinal stenosis.

Make your Murfreesboro chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to seeing how much steadier you are!