There’s absolutely no question that seniors are a huge demographic in the United States. In fact, 2015 data released by the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) represent approximately 75.4 million Americans. By comparison, Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1982) only represents 65 million people.

No matter how you look at it, the current crop of Baby Boomers is getting older, but that does not necessarily mean that they are slowing down. In fact, quite the opposite is true. They are living longer and staying far more active and healthy than their parents. Of course, this makes them ideal candidates for the benefits of chiropractic care. Dr. Nathen Horst has a number of seniors who are patients of his and incorporate chiropractic as a regular part of their wellness lifestyle.

Chiropractic Treatment for Back Pain

Numerous studies have listed back pain as the most common complaint bringing people in to see a chiropractor for the first time. Furthermore, chiropractic is often the therapy of last resort after several more conventional treatments, such as pain medication or physical therapy, have been tried and failed to relieve pain.

This is often even truer for the elderly. Some research has shown that after three months of conventional treatment for back pain, anywhere from 37 percent to 40 percent of older patients may still have back pain, and as many as 45 percent may still have no relief by the end of 12 months. It should not be difficult to imagine how frustrating this can be for elderly patients. Fortunately, Dr. Horst understands this concern and can show older patients how chiropractic care is able to succeed where so many other treatments have failed.

Keeping Things Moving

The main goal for older patients is to keep the joints moving, even if they are still active. It is an inevitable fact of aging that the joints and surrounding ligaments and tendons will become tight, stiff, and painful. Furthermore, the body will lose cartilage as it ages, meaning that there will be less of a protective cushion at the joints. This is why it is so important for older patients to undergo regular chiropractic care in order to maintain proper range of motion in their joints, particularly if they are prone to osteoarthritis.

Easy Does It

Although it is important to focus on joint mobility for elderly patients, it is equally important to be gentle when doing so, due to the relative fragile nature of their bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. Dr. Horst will use what is called an instrument-assisted adjustment, which uses a hand-held, spring-loaded tool to open up the space between the joints, thereby relieving pressure, pain, and stiffness. The advantage to an adjusting device is that it can use much less force than what is needed by just using the hands to open up the space between the joints. Essentially, more benefit can be gained with less force required. Thus, an adjusting instrument both provides older patients with the benefits of chiropractic care while reducing the risk of further damage.

Growing older does not necessarily mean becoming more sedentary. Today’s seniors are living longer and staying more active than those of previous generations. Nevertheless, they still need special care for their aging joints. Fortunately, chiropractic care can help them do just that.