New York City Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as steady as I once was.”
This is not an uncommon conversation starter at Rosenberg Wellness Center from our New York City chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is important to prevent falls and related problems that may come with it…like breaking something! Rosenberg Wellness Center 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 especially in relation to 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 of age who did not have any problems with walking found that 20.4% couldn’t do a 10 second one-legged-stand which managed to increase the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test had an 84% greater risk of dying within in the study period (12 yrs). This observational study did not state cause/effect but proposed a link, a link that may insire middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, Rosenberg Wellness Center recommends standing near to a counter to stabilize yourself if necessary. If today only 3 seconds are possible, keep working on it. you will 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 research project compared how known “fallers,” “nonfallers,” and young volunteers performed on a force plate measuring test for postural sway. None differed in weight transfer. Younger ones 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 established who the “fallers” were better – 100% - than other more common 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 quite helpful to your New York City chiropractor in determining 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 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 determined 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 improve your balance!
CONTACT Rosenberg Wellness 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 York City chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to seeing how much better balanced you feel!
