Keeping Active with Aging!
As we age, some of us experience limited mobility and activity. This restricted movement can have negative effects on our health, making it more difficult to keep in shape and stay active. Countless studies have shown that activity can help us not only maintain our physical well-being, but it can also prevent against Alzheimer’s and depression. In short, staying active is good for the body and the mind!
Now, a new study from researchers at the University of Iowa have found that chiropractic care can help older people stay active and healthy.
In this report, the authors looked at the data provided by the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), a huge database that documents the health records of Medicare patients. The researchers looked specifically at patient reports of function, activity levels, and self-reported health outcomes in patients who visited a chiropractor and compared them to people who did not visit a chiropractor.
The researchers found that the individuals who engaged in some form of chiropractic care had fewer functional limitations, less difficulty engaging in activities such as lifting and walking, and a lower number of doctor’s visits and hospitalizations. They concluded that chiropractic had a “protective effect,” safeguarding them against physical deterioration.
The authors concluded:
“This study provides evidence of a protective effect of chiropractic against 1-year declines in functional and [self-related health] among Medicare beneficiaries with spine conditions, and indications that chiropractic users have higher satisfaction with follow-up care and information provided about what is wrong with them.”
Chiropractic care has been shown to be beneficial for many different kinds of spinal pain and dysfunction, and this study shows that regular chiropractic care can also help keep you moving and active as you get older. If you suffer from back pain or have some other health problem that’s slowing you down, call our office at (607)754-7669 today.
Weigel PAM, Hockenberry JM, Wolinsky FD. Chiropractic use in the Medicare Population: prevalence, patterns, and associations with 1-year changes in health and satisfaction with care. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2014;37:542-551.
