“I’m just not as steady as I once
was.”
This is not an unusual conversation
starter at Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre from our Toronto chiropractic patients
and/or their loved ones. Balance is
key to prevent falls and
associated problems that may come with it…like
breaking something! Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre offers some news
about fall prevention and balance improvement
with spinal manipulation and balance practice.
BALANCE AND AGING
The 50s bring some hard to ignore changes
especially 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 issues with walking found that 20.4% could
not perform a 10 second one-legged-stand which managed
to increase the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test was related to an 84% greater risk of dying within in the
study time (12 yrs). 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, Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
urges standing near to a counter
to catch yourself if necessary. If today only 3 seconds are
possible, keep practicing.
you will improve over time!
(2) Once you see some improvement, 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 measuring
test for postural sway. None were different in weight transfer. 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 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
Toronto chiropractor in evaluating baseline
balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A newly 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 see how well we can improve
your balance!
CONTACT Yorkville Chiropractic and Wellness Centre
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 Toronto chiropractic
appointment soon. We look forward to hearing how
much better balanced you feel!