Fernandina Beach Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !

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

This isn’t an unusual conversation starter at Amelia Chiropractic Clinic from our Fernandina Beach chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is vital to prevent falls and associated issues that may come with it…like breaking something! Amelia 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 terms of balance. Such changes in balance also boost 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 do a 10 second one-legged-stand which tended to increase the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test was related to an 84% higher risk of dying within in the study period (12 yrs). This observational study didn’t state cause/effect but suggested a link, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg daily! To be safe, Amelia Chiropractic Clinic recommends standing near to a tall chair to catch yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep practicing. You’ll do better over time! (2) Once you see some improvement, you’ll 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 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 established who the “fallers” were 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 Fernandina Beach 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 reducing postural sway and entropy (forward/backward movement) as assessed 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 Amelia 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.

Schedule your Fernandina Beach chiropractic appointment now. We look forward to seeing how much better balanced you are!