Minster Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as balanced as I used to be.”
This is not an unusual conversation starter at Minster Chiropractic Center from our Minster chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is vital to prevent falls and related issues that may come with it…like breaking something! Minster Chiropractic Center offers some news about fall prevention and balance improvement with spinal manipulation and balance practice.
BALANCE AND AGING
The 50s bring some noticeable changes especially in terms of balance. Such changes in balance also increase the risk for falling and other health concerns. A report 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 intensify the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Not being able to do the 10 second balance test was related to an 84% greater risk of dying within in the study period (12 yrs). This observational study didn’t declare cause/effect but suggested a connection, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg daily! To be safe, Minster Chiropractic Center recommends standing near to a counter to stabilize yourself if necessary. If today only 3 seconds are possible, keep practicing. You’ll improve as you practice! (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 performed on a force plate gauging 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 beneficial to your Minster chiropractor in evaluating 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 improving 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 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 Minster Chiropractic Center
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 Minster chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to hearing how much better balanced you feel!
