The Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Introduction

Chiropractic care has grown substantially from its roots in America in Iowa to become a key part of the health care system in the United States. It has grown because it provides numerous key benefits for resolving pain, promotes a healthy life style, and makes people feel better and be more productive. This article is designed to inform people of the broad range of benefits they may obtain from chiropractic care.

Chiropractors follow the medical model used by all doctors. We collect precise information from the patient about the medical or physical issue of concern. We conduct tests. We record the results. We analyze the results and develop a diagnosis that focuses on the cause of the problem and how to solve it. We share the results and diagnosis with our patients. We recommend a course of treatment. We track meticulously how effective the treatment is. We change treatment if the problem is not getting resolved in a timely manner. We refer our patients to specialists if a more detailed diagnosis and treatment plan beyond what a chiropractor can do would benefit the client. Like all medical practices, chiropractors are problem solvers, and all great problem solvers must be able to make an accurate diagnosis of the problem. Rather than describe all of the problems chiropractors can treat, LifeSource Health Partners is committed to solutions and benefits for our patients. Therefore, this article lists the benefits chiropractors have provided for patients for over one hundred years.

The Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment

Of course, not every patient will receive these benefits or might even want them. Every patient is different and there are many contributing factors which will promote or hinder your receiving these benefits from chiropractic care. At LifeSource Health Partners we have documented that we have provided these benefits and we will continue to provide these benefits to our patients.

1. Improve fitness
2. Improve muscle tone
3. Increase strength
4. Improve balance
5. Increase agility
6. Increase flexibility
7. Reduce pain
8. Reduce likelihood of workplace accident
9. Reduce likelihood of injury
10. Improve posture
11. Improve appearance
12. Increase mobility
13. Increase range of motion
14. Reduce likelihood of acute pain
15. Reduce problems associated with repetitive motion
16. Increase awareness of surroundings
17. Increase sports and athletic performance
18. Increase functionality of body
19. Provide for greater ease of motion
20. Promote less wear and tear on joints
21. Increase alertness
22. Reduce muscle fatigue
23. Increase stamina and endurance
24. Provide for greater efficiency of movement
25. Improve nervous system functioning
26. Reduce onset of degenerative injury to back, spine, neck
27. Improve gait
28. Improve form and effectiveness of movement
29. Improve body mechanics
30. Speed up recovery from injury

Chiropractors will often recommend that a patient perform exercises, stretches and other “self-treatment” between visits. Performing all of the exercises, stretches, and “self-treatment” by the patient that the chiropractor recommends between visits to the chiropractor is so important that LifeSource Health Partners in 2009 has instituted a new and revolutionary policy for all of its patients. If LifeSource Health Partners does not call a patient or send them an email in between each visit to remind the patient of exactly what self-treatment the Doctor recommends, your next visit is free. And, if a patient refuses to follow the Doctor recommendations and is not progressing because of the failure of the patient to perform these exercises, stretches and self-treatment, LifeSource Health Partners reserves the right to discontinue its services to this patient.

Chiropractic Care and Seniors With Arthritis

For the purpose of this article, LifeSource Health Partners accepts the definition of “seniors” established by AARP as anyone who is fifty years or older; however, people of any age can be stricken with arthritis. The exact causes of arthritis are still not fully understood, but the symptoms are consistent and obvious. They include stiffness, pain restriction of motion, deformities of the hands and feet, decreased dexterity, back pain/stiffness upon awakening, impaired physical capabilities, pain with activity and progressive joint degeneration that can be silent or too easily ignored. Common physical impairments can prevent a person from doing normal activities such as opening a jar, writing, playing sports, typing, exercising and even enjoying their family, grandchildren or hobbies! Many people, especially seniors, seem to accept arthritis as a condition of life and simply “put up” with the inflammation, joint pain, stiffness, muscle aches and physical limitations because they don’t know there are other options. Chiropractic care is especially well-suited to not only reduce these symptoms, but also provide arthritis sufferers with long-term pain relief and improved functional capabilities of the hands, back, legs and other areas so you can enjoy your favorite activities.

Needs of Seniors With Arthritis
Seniors with arthritis need to reduce the inflammation and deterioration that affects their joints. Consequently, the initial goals of treatment are to not only relieve those symptoms and increase functional capabilities but more importantly to slow down the progression of the condition because arthritis is almost always a progressive condition, which means it gets worse with time-regardless of symptoms. Sadly, even as the inflammation and joint deterioration get worse, the symptoms usually fluctuate or even come and go completely, sometimes for many months or even years, only to return for no apparent reason! This is why seniors are especially susceptible to a false sense of improvement when the pain subsides and they start to believe the arthritis is getting better, only to experience a relapse of symptoms sometime later. Unfortunately, the underlying condition has been getting progressively worse the entire time resulting in permanent damage that limits the level of relief and recovery that can be achieved. Since arthritis will get worse if it is not treated, chiropractic care on a regular basis can help slow down or even stop the progression of arthritis and restore a senior’s ability to have pain-free use of their hands, back, legs and other joints.

Specific Services of Chiropractic Medicine To Treat Arthritis

Getting chiropractic treatment on a regular basis means seeing a chiropractic doctor for a short visit once a week, once every other week, or at least once a month. Specific chiropractic treatments that will provide measurable benefits to seniors with arthritis will depend, in part, on the type of arthritis a person has. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the knees, hips, spine and other weight-bearing joints. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory condition that typically affects the hands and feet resulting in destruction of the soft tissues and ligaments around the joints; this is what leads to the hallmark deformities characterized by rheumatoid arthritis. There are less common types of arthritis but almost all cause similar symptoms of joint inflammation, pain and stiffness.

For osteoarthritis, chiropractic medicine services that provide relief and reduce the progression of the condition include:

• Traction (the gentle stretching or elongation of a joint by a machine) to open the joint space, enhance tissue health and improve function.

• Joint mobilization (the movement of a joint in a prescribed manner) to increase joint function and restore pain-free movement.

• Prescription of specific stretches and exercises to be performed at home.

• Specific nutritional supplements to promote healthy cartilage.

For rheumatoid arthritis, there are other services provided by LifeSource Health Partners and many other wellness clinics that focus on the actual cause instead of just trying to relieve the symptoms and limitations associated with the condition. In addition to the chiropractic medicine services described above, the following treatments can effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis:

• Dietary assessment to determine if the food a person is eating contributes to joint and tissue inflammation.

• Food allergy assessment to identify specific foods that could be contributing to the cause of the condition.
• Acupuncture to restore normal balance and circulation of “chi” (vital body energy).
• Cleansing to eliminate toxins, enhance cellular function and restore biochemical balance; this also results in significant weight loss for most people.
• Specific supplements to restore adrenal function and promote tissue healing.
• Gentle manual therapies such as joint mobilization, stretching, exercise and strength training under the care of a licensed Chiropractor Doctor.

Benefits of Chiropractic Treatment for Arthritis in Seniors

Seniors should experience a progressive reduction in pain as well as a steady increase in strength, mobility, range of motion and the ability to perform many tasks that were difficult or impossible before treatment. Treatment often starts once or twice a week depending on the severity and length of time the senior has experienced the symptoms associated with arthritis. X-rays should be taken to help identify how long the arthritis has been present and the severity of any joint deterioration since the condition usually started long before any symptoms were noticed. The longer a senior has had arthritis and the worse the symptoms are, the more often treatment should be given and the longer it will take to achieve a favorable outcome. Over time, monthly visits are particularly useful to help minimize the progression of the disease and any residual symptoms. Since certain types of arthritis can compromise other functions of the body relating to the heart, lungs, blood flow, nervous system and the immune function, chiropractic evaluation and treatment of arthritis serves as an excellent way to reduce the possibility that arthritis will cause deformity of one’s joints or compromise these other important bodily functions.

Seniors, like everyone else, often deny their pain is worth being treated and live with unnecessary pain or “hope” it will go away. Even worse, they often take excessive amounts of over-the counter pain relievers or prescription arthritis medications that can damage the liver, kidney, stomach or other vital organs. Chiropractic medicine provides a drug-free treatment that can not only reduce the pain and suffering from arthritis but often slows down the progression of the condition! This results in better mobility, improved function and a substantial elevation in the quality of life for seniors with arthritis.