Chiropractic treatment can be highly beneficial for seniors in Australia. As individuals age, they may experience various musculoskeletal issues, such as back pain, joint stiffness, and reduced mobility, which can significantly impact their quality of life. Chiropractic care, offered by qualified practitioners, can provide seniors with non-invasive, drug-free treatment options to address these issues.
Through gentle adjustments and targeted therapies, chiropractors can help seniors manage pain, improve joint flexibility, and enhance overall physical function. Moreover, chiropractic care can also support seniors in maintaining their independence and enjoying an active lifestyle as they age. Seniors in Australia can seek chiropractic treatment as a safe and effective option to enhance their well-being and promote healthy ageing.
Basics of chiropractic treatment
The practice of chiropractic involves using hand movements or instruments to apply a certain amount of force to treat musculoskeletal conditions. The object is to free up affected joints and muscles for positive output such as increased mobility. However, some sectors have misconceptions about chiropractic as they believe it’s just about “popping joints.”
A general chiropractic session will involve a full medical consultation with the chiropractor, which can include x-ray analyses and sharing of the associated medical history. The chiropractor may ask the patient to either lie down or be prone and test the range of motion for each moving part; any anomalies would be catalogued for later action. The instruments used in the chiro sessions include a spinal traction bed where the patient is fastened to and the device moves in certain directions to flex the joints.
One of the main elements of chiropractic treatment is spinal decompression. The procedure is meant to loosen the pressure on the spinal discs, gel-like joints that link each vertebra in the spine, and allow them to receive water and nutrients to increase healing.
Benefits of chiropractic treatment for seniors
Due to possible fragility of the body at a later age, chiropractic treatments for the elderly are for the most part, non-invasive and careful. A treatment plan must be worked out around your current schedule of activities. While a single session may take up to 45 minutes, you will need to arrange up to 30 sessions over a period of two months, with regular preventive measures to be undertaken at home.
If you have a loved one or a caregiver living with you, they will be advised on the plan as well. That treatment plan may also apply to investing in ergonomic furniture, such as desk chairs with curved backrests; some of them were built in consultation with top chiropractors.
Given consistency of treatment sessions, an elderly person can look forward to numerous benefits:
- Lower risk of slip-and-fall. Chiropractic treatments reduce the danger of slip-and-fall by rebuilding nerve links to the spine and lower limbs, which can result in better balance, as the brain is now more aware of the actual control and orientation of the limbs. Regular stretching can also flex the muscles and joints for added stability and coordination, both essential for seniors.
- Pain relief. Many chiropractic patients attest that difficulties coping with pain are major setbacks to their lifestyle. Constant sessions enable the spine to resync the body’s nerve links with affected parts and reduce inflammation. In a number of aspects, chiropractic treatments reduce the need for certain medication that may temporarily keep the pain at bay (prolonged usage of pain-relievers such as opioids might be diagnosed as substance abuse).
- Improved wellbeing. Regular sessions with a chiropractor have the potential to improve a person’s life and wellbeing, in terms of increased energy levels and flexibility as the treatments free up your body from blockages.
- Reduced spinal degeneration. A misaligned spine is a common cause of gradual degradation of the joints and may lead to other problems. Chiropractic treatments restore the spine to their proper shape and also take off undue stress.
- Wider range of motion. A lack of flexibility is frequently raised as issues amongst seniors seeking therapeutic treatment. A comprehensive chiropractic programme may help clear hindrances to joints and bring back normal range of movement. To bolster this rationale, a 2001 study by RMIT University found that manipulation of the entire spine increased the range of motion for the cervical spine (the neck region of your spine).
- Treatment of chronic diseases. Regular sessions at your chiropractor may aid with treating existing chronic ailments. Your chiropractor and your GP can work with you to set up the sessions as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. In a 2016 Macquarie University study tackling chiropractic solutions for COPD, for example, evaluators tested a programme of spinal manipulation, walking exercises, and one-second exhalation tests on 33 patients between 55 to 85 years old. The results noted that the spinal manipulation improved movement for the chest and upper back, giving the lungs more breathing capacity.
The ASAG Reverse Mortgage
The ASAG Reverse Mortgage equity release facility can make a difference in supporting your chiropractic treatments. It provides a practical choice for elderly homeowners in Australia to access the untapped equity in their property. Part of your property’s equity will be used to finance the sessions whether as part of an Aged Care or Home Care support programme and repayments of the loan can be scheduled over time.
Whether it’s ageing in place or heading to an assisted-living facility, elderly life will pose major issues on your body. ASAG will help you find a way to stretch your bones and get back to optimum health.
For additional details on our equity release options, feel free to contact ASAG at 1300 002 724 or email us at info@asagfirst.com.au. Additionally, you can use the tool below to assess your own equity.