New Roads Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !

“I’m just not as balanced as I once was.”

This is not an uncommon conversation starter at New Roads Chiropractic Center from our New Roads chiropractic patients and/or their family members. Balance is crucial to avert falls and related issues that may come with it…like breaking something! New Roads Chiropractic Center presents 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 terms of balance. Such changes in balance also boost the risk for falling and other health concerns. A report of 1702 people between 51 and 75 years old who did not have 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) 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 years). This observational study didn’t state cause/effect but proposed a connection, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg daily! To be safe, New Roads Chiropractic Center recommends standing near to a tall chair to catch yourself if necessary. If today only 3 seconds are possible, keep practicing. you will do better as you practice! (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 did on a force plate gauging test for postural sway. None differed in weight transfer. Younger volunteers decreased 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 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 New Roads chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.

ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL

A newly published paper noted the benefit 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 reducing 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 see how well we can enhance your balance!

CONTACT New Roads Chiropractic Center

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.

Schedule your New Roads chiropractic appointment now. We look forward to hearing how much better balanced you feel!