Chiropractic care is safe and effective for everyone at every stage in their lives. Today, we will be discussing chiropractic care for the elderly; benefits, safety, and common myths! 

Hello everyone, it's Dr. Bob Salamon here with Lowcountry Chiropractic! Welcome back to the blog. I hope you are continuing to stay healthy and well out there, and I hope you've started to take the advice I discussed in my last blog to heart. Making those healthy additions in your life can make all the difference, keep you healthy, make you feel good, and so much more! Always know that I'm here to answer your questions or to schedule you for a consultation;  just give us a call or shoot us an email!
 
Today, I wanted to turn the tables and talk about chiropractic care for a certain age group. I've mentioned before that the myths and misinformation about chiropractic care can get in the way of individuals receiving life-changing treatment that can improve their overall quality of life. I hear these excuses and reasonings why individuals shouldn't get care all the time; I'm too young it's not safe, I'm too old it's not safe, I'm pregnant so it's not safe, I'm not in pain so I don't need chiropractic care. All of these reasons are incorrect. Today, I want to discuss and talk about chiropractic care for the elderly.
 

• Is Chiropractic Care Safe For The Elderly?

First and foremost, absolutely! According to the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, chiropractic care for the elderly is a safe and effective alternative. It is one of the least invasive options for multiple different types of pain and can help avoid serious surgeries that could come with a very difficult healing period. According to Dr. Cheryl Hawk, a professor at the Texas Chiropractic College in Pasadena, TX says that chiropractic care is one of the safest interventions for the care of back pain in the elderly. The risk of any problems or harm from chiropractic care is similar to having a very serious problem after receiving a shot, which is very little. The most common side effects can be muscle soreness and stiffness, which can be addressed with drinking plenty of water, a well-balanced diet, and rest. These side effects are very similar to how you'd feel after starting a new workout plan. There is no age limit for chiropractic care. To guarantee this safety, the chiropractic treatments are modified to fit the age of the patient to best suit their issues and body. Modifications are made to the changes to the neurological and musculoskeletal systems that come with aging naturally. A 30-year-old will receive different treatments than an 80-year-old!
 

• What Are The Benefits of Chiropractic Care For The Elderly?

Chiropractic care offers so many benefits to anyone that seeks out and receives care, it's one of the many reasons why I love what I do! You might be surprised at the number of benefits chiropractic care can give the elderly.

• As I mentioned in my previous blog, chiropractic care can help strengthen and maintain your immune system. The elderly are one of the most affected groups when it comes to poor immune systems, especially during this pandemic. Getting consistent chiropractic care can help build up and maintain a senior's immune system.
• One of the most common reasons we see patients is to help them deal with pain. As you age, your body could be experiencing more pain due to arthritis, bad knees, a bad back, and many other reasons. Chiropractic care is a natural pain management system; it can help these issues from getting worse and can potentially get rid of the pain you're experiencing altogether.
• Chiropractic care can help increase mobility in seniors, allowing them to get around without the need of a nurse or family member, a cane, or a walker. Chiropractic care can help improve flexibility, align your joints, and help with tightness in the muscles, allowing seniors to move as they please and be able to conduct activities of daily living.
• Balance can be improved and restored with chiropractic care. Elderly individuals who are prone to or at risk of falls truly benefit from chiropractic care, as treatments have been known to stimulate spinal receptors to improve coordination and balance.
• Chiropractic care can help manage, stop, and decrease the degeneration of the spine. 
• Seniors can see a decrease in joint degeneration across the board if they receive consistent chiropractic care. Subluxations can cause the spine and other joints to wear out and break down much easier than they are meant to. This can cause serious pain, loss of mobility, inflammation, and many other painful issues. Chiropractic care decreases spinal degeneration and other arthritic changes by properly aligning the spine.
• Chiropractic care can help prevent seniors from using over the counter pain medications.
• It can help seniors avoid going under the knife for what can be very invasive procedures like hip, knee, and back surgery.
• Chiropractic care can lead to an overall better quality of life, health, and wellness. It can allow seniors to move and get around to enjoy their favorite activities, allow them to spend time with their families, help them stay healthier, sleep better, digest better, concentrate better, have improved memory, and my other wonderful attributes.
• Improving one's health, range of motion, balance, and stability not only improves one's quality of life, but it can also help seniors live at home longer on their own without a family member or a nurse having to move in, or having to move into a nursing home. It can also provide a senior's family peace of mind, knowing how much happier they are living at home, and knowing they are much safer from falling or slipping thanks to a stronger and healthier back.
• Due to the fact that chiropractic care has a connection to the brain and its health, Medicare has accepted chiropractic care as an approved healthcare cost they will cover in the treatment of Alzheimer's and Dementia. Research is still happening on this topic, but many believe chiropractic care could help in the prevention or even prolong the years before either of these diseases appear.

 

• Myths To Ignore When Seeking Chiropractic Care For The Elderly

I hear these myths and tall tales all the time in my office, and I know there are even more out there that I haven't heard yet. I wanted to share a few myths and false facts to throw out when considering treatment. Each of these statements is false;  don't let them get in the way of receiving the treatment you need!

• Chiropractic care is dangerous!
• I'm too old for chiropractic treatments.
• Chiropractic care is expensive, and I can't afford it on my pension or retirement funds.
• Chiropractic care only treats back pain.
• Chiropractic care isn't covered by insurance.
• Chiropractic treatments rarely work.
• Your bones will grind against one another when you get treated, and it'll hurt!
• There is no scientific proof that chiropractic care works.
• Chiropractors are not real doctors.
• It's just a fad!

Remember, each of these items is false! If these are the reasons why you have been staying away from treatment, let us remedy that now! Give us a call or schedule an appointment with us right away!
 

• Preparing For Your First Adjustment

Going to your first chiropractic appointment at any age can be overwhelming and make you a little nervous. Sometimes the worry and fear of not knowing can be what causes a person to not get the treatment they need. With that in mind, I wanted to provide a list of how to prepare for your first chiropractic appointment.

• Make sure to show up a little early for any last-minute paperwork.
• Dress comfortably and in clothes that don't restrict movement.
• Be honest with your chiropractor about your medical history, what medical issues you have, what pain you're experiencing, and so on. While I'll be able to tell a lot about you from your exam, I won't be able to read your mind.
• You might be asked to also get an x-ray or other tests so your chiropractor can understand more about your body and what troubles you might be experiencing.
• Prepare for an adjustment on your first visit!
• Remember, this won't hurt. Your chiropractor will go at a speed that is comfortable for you and will answer any questions you might have during your visit.
• Be prepared to leave with some homework! Your chiropractor might ask you to do some stretches, buy a new pillow or a new office chair, or recommend some light exercises to help your alignment and overall health improve. These adjustments will also make your quality of life in between appointments more manageable and comfortable.
• Please drink plenty of water and rest after your adjustment!

 
I hope all of this helps! Please know we are here for you at any stage of your life and can help you at any stage of your life. If you have any questions or concerns or would like to come in for a consultation give us a call! Stay healthy and safe, readers! Until next time, I'm Dr. Bob and I've got your back covered!

As you've read in many of my blogs, chiropractic care is the key to helping with many common and dangerous ailments. Did you know that blood pressure is one of the many conditions that chiropractic care can help manage naturally? 

Hey everybody! Dr. Bob here with Lowcountry Chiropractic. I hope you're staying healthy and well out there. In this week's blog, I am going to be talking about blood pressure. We are going to cover what high blood pressure is, how it's measured, and what you can do to help control it. Since I am a chiropractor, I am of course going to talk about the natural ways of going about doing that. I am also going to mention some of the medications that are available out there to help control blood pressure as well. We don't personally recommend these prescriptions, but we are going to mention them today. 

Your blood pressure is the pressure on the walls of your blood vessels. There are two numbers you'll get when you get your blood pressure taken. The systolic number is the top number and the diastolic number is the bottom number. Say your top number is 120 and your bottom number is 80, that's normal! What that systolic number measures is the pressure that is placed on your artery walls when the heart is contracting and pushing blood through the blood vessels. When the heart is at rest and not contracting that is the diastolic or lower number. If your systolic number is 120-129 you are considered pre-hypertensive; most medical doctors won't do much more than give suggestions to change your lifestyle, exercise more, and eat better. Stage one hypertension is when you're 130-139 systolic and 80-89 diastolic. Doctors will typically start to give you medication in this phase. If you're 140/90 or higher that is considered Stage 2 hypertension. You will usually be put on multiple medications at that point.  Anything over 180/120 is considered a medical emergency.

Medications that are available for high blood pressure do one of three things: 

• They can remove sodium and water from the body which will in turn lower your blood pressure. 
• They can slow down your heart rate.
• They can relax or dilate blood vessels. 

These medications can come with many different side effects, so I wanted to mention some of the common ones here. The ones listed aren't even some of the more serious ones, which can be much scarier. These common side effects can include: 

• Dizziness
• Diarrhea
• Headaches
• Vomiting
• Nausea

We as chiropractors are not big proponents, as you know, of medication. We think that things can be done naturally, with fewer side effects, and we work with the body and not against it. I did some research on some foods that can naturally help your blood pressure that I wanted to share with you today. These delicious foods include: 

• Leafy greens! This will include romaine and kale. These greens are rich in potassium, which when digested in the body can get rid of sodium, which can lower blood pressure naturally.
• ​Berries, especially blueberries. Berries are huge antioxidants and antiinflammatories. Inflammation can raise your blood pressure. 
• Red beets. They are high in nitrous oxide which can relax blood vessels. 
• ​Skim milk and yogurt. 
• Oatmeal. 
• ​Bananas, which are also very high in potassium. 
• Salmon and tuna, which are high in omega 3 fatty acids which can reduce inflammation in the body and reduce blood pressure. 
• Seeds, which are high in potassium. 
• Dark Chocolate. It is known to lower blood pressure if you eat 100 grams a day. 
• Pistachios. They can help relax your blood vessels. 
• Olive oil
• ​Pomegranates. 

You might be asking yourself how chiropractic care fits into helping take care of high blood pressure. We all should know that the brain, spinal cord, and nerves control every function in your body. So, if there is pressure on the nerves in your body, your body is not going to work as it should. Nerve impulses help control the size of your blood vessels.  When you have a subluxation (a bone that is out of place irritating a nerve) the blood vessel connected to that nerve can either dilate or constrict. If it constricts, there is less space for the blood to flow, which puts extra pressure on the vessel walls, thus increasing blood pressure. If the blood vessel dilates, the extra volume can create inflammation that can also increase blood pressure.  Chiropractic care corrects the subluxation, allowing the nerves to communicate with the blood vessels, thus normalizing the diameter of the vessels and therefore regulating blood pressure.

These are just some thoughts that I wanted to share with you on how you can realistically manage high blood pressure.  Chiropractic care, good nutrition and exercise are excellent ways to naturally manage your blood pressure over your lifetime. Hopefully, this helps! Remember, I'm Dr. Bob and I've got your back covered!