Chiropractic Care for Seniors

Many seniors are unaware of the outstanding benefits that are possible through regular chiropractic care.

Not so long ago chiropractic treatment was considered a be a form of alternative medicine that emphasized diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mechanical disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine, under the belief that these disorders affect general health via the nervous system.

However, today we know better. One cannot deny the new scientific evidence and personal claims by millions of patients, that the benefits of chiropractic treatments are far from being a form alternative medicine but rather a treatment on itself… with benefits that we can see and feel.

I had the pleasure of attending a meeting where Dr. Clarise Chan made a presentation on the benefit of chiropractic treatment. I was so moved by her passion and knowledge, that I had to ask if she would write an article for In Our Care – Home Care Services. She agreed, and here it is.

Dying to live

When you look at your life at this very moment, are you living the life you thought you would be living? Are you able to do what you want to do? Or, like the majority of people in our society, are you tired, sick and just “getting by”?

Benefits of Chiropractic Care for Seniors by: Dr. Clarise Chan

According to Statistics Canada, the average life expectancy in Ontario for females is eighty-four and for males is seventy-nine. These numbers have been steadily increasing over time however, 89% of the senior population is said to have at least one chronic condition, such as Arthritis, with the average North American senior being on eleven different medications. Although people are living longer, the reality is that most people are living out their last days non-functional, on medications and without hope.

This was the path that my father was headed down at the age of sixty. After practicing for thirty years as a dentist, he developed such severe neck pain that he could not lift his chin off of his chest. He also experienced difficulty breathing, with constant tingling down his right arm, high blood pressure and a chronic cough. He decided to try many therapies, including medications, and nothing helped. One sleepless night turned into two and eventually, several months of trying to survive and make it to the next day without pain or coughing. As I saw the life drain from my father before my very eyes, I began to lose hope, thinking that things could only get worse. However, one day he met a Chiropractor who changed the course of his entire life. After my father started getting his spine adjusted, he could lift his head higher and breathe easier. At that point in my life, I witnessed firsthand how Chiropractic brought immediate hope to peoples’ lives. It was this powerful experience that not only gave my father his life back but also led me on the path to becoming a Chiropractor.

What is Chiropractic? Chiropractic restores your body’s innate ability to heal. It allows your brain to connect with your body so that you can function, heal and repair optimally. To get a better understanding of this, lets take a look at the most important organ system in your body: the nervous system. Your nervous system is made up of your brain and spinal cord. It controls every cell, tissue and organ in your body. From the beating of your heart to a cut on your hand being able to heal, information must be flowing from your brain, down your brain stem, spinal cord, and out thirty three pairs of nerves to all of your cells, tissues and organs. When we look at your spine, the primary function of your spine is to protect your spinal cord. In terms of its normal alignment, from the front it should be perfectly straight like the letter “I” and from the side it should have three smooth flowing curves like the letter “S”. When your spine is aligned properly and moving properly, all of your nerve channels are functioning one hundred percent. However, when your spine shifts out of its normal position, this puts dangerous pressure on your spinal cord and blocks the power from the brain to that particular area of the body. These misalignments and shifts are called subluxations. Subluxations not only break down the integrity and position of your spine but they interfere with your organ system functioning and your nervous system’s ability to heal the body.

How do you know if your spine is subluxated? A lot of people do not know that they have subluxations until they start to experience pain or other warning signals in the body. Does that mean you should wait until you have symptoms? Absolutely not! These warning signals occur when problems have been in the body for a prolonged period of time. Regardless of how you feel, it is important to have your spine checked to see if you have subluxations and how much damage there is to your spine. If subluxations are detected and caught in time before too much damage is done, nerve supply can be restored. No matter how young or old you are, even old problems can improve due to your body’s powerful ability to heal itself.

Autonomic Nervous System

Are you living to die? Or are you dying to live? It’s your choice. Get your spine checked. Your life is worth it.

**Mention this article and receive a FREE spinal check-up to ensure proper spinal alignment. Contact Dr. Clarise Chan at nrfamilychiropractic@bell.net to take advantage of this offer valued at $200!

Resources: Statistics Canada (2009)

This article is written by: Dr. Clarise Chan, B. Sc. (Hons), DC