West Des Moines Chiropractic Tip: Practice Balance Every Day !
“I’m just not as balanced as I once was.”
This isn’t an unusual conversation starter at Executive Chiropractic of Iowa from our West Des Moines chiropractic patients and/or their family members. Balance is important to avert falls and related issues that may come with it…like breaking something! Executive Chiropractic of Iowa 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 terms of balance. Such changes in balance also increase the risk for falling and other health concerns. A report of 1702 people between 51 and 75 years old who did not have any problems with walking found that 20.4% could not do a 10 second one-legged-stand which managed to intensify the risk of all-cause mortality. (1) Failing the 10 second balance test was associated with an 84% greater risk of dying within in the study period (12 years). This observational study didn’t declare cause/effect but proposed a link, a link that may encourage middle and older age folks to practice standing on one leg every day! To be safe, Executive Chiropractic of Iowa urges standing near to a tall chair to stabilize yourself if necessary. If you can only do 2 seconds today, keep practicing. You’ll improve 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 did on a force plate measuring 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 made 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 quite helpful to your West Des Moines chiropractor in evaluating baseline balance.
ROLE OF CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION IN MOVEMENT CONTROL
A recently published paper described 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 realize how well we can enhance your balance!
CONTACT Executive Chiropractic of Iowa
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 West Des Moines chiropractic appointment today. We look forward to seeing how much better balanced you feel!
