Montreal Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as steady as I used to be.”
This isn’t an unusual conversation starter at Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic from our Montreal chiropractic patients and/or their loved ones. Balance is important to prevent falls and related problems that may come with a fall…like breaking something! Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic 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 relation to balance. Such changes in balance also increase the risk for falling and other health concerns. A study of 1702 people between 51 and 75 years of age who had no issues with walking found that 20.4% couldn’t 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 associated with an 84% greater risk of dying within in the study time (12 years). This observational study didn’t declare cause/effect but suggested a connection, a link that may insire middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic recommends standing next a tall chair to stabilize yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep practicing. you will do better as you practice! (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 performed on a force plate measuring 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 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 Montreal chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A newly published paper described 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 decreasing 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 in the office and your practicing standing on one foot then the other at home, we will realize how well we can improve your balance!
CONTACT Dr. Hoang's Chiropractic Clinic
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Nate McKee on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates relieving chiropractic care and re-establishing balance via The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for patients with spinal stenosis.
Make your Montreal chiropractic appointment soon. We look forward to hearing how much better balanced you are!
