Geriatric Considerations and Chiropractic
Dr. Harlan Sparer, Tempe Chiropractor
As the human body ages, it loses water. This dessication and subsequent degenerationmeans less springiness in the Intervertebral (IVD) Discs, ligaments, and muscles.
I find this to be an important consideration when older folks begin to get an itch to do something they recall doing in their youth, like gardening, water skiing, basketball, volleyball, spring cleaning, and furniture moving. A long period of inactivity followed by a prolonged burst of sudden intense activity can lead to stretching and tearing of the ligaments leading to vertebral subluxation. The drying out of the body, known as dessication, causes the ligaments to have less tone and less substance. I find it takes a few extra visits when this occurs because the lack of suppleness due to dessication makes the body’s ability to hold an adjustment slightly to moderatelu more limited.
Hydration of the body is ike the old Billy Crystal joke about hair (it stops growing where you want it and grows where you don’t want it. Fluid retention can become an issue. Essentially, the tendency with age is to retain fluid in the abdomen and the ankles, as well as in the spinal area. The net result of this can sometimes cause the body to retain symptoms after the Subluxation has been corrected.
I beieve a gentle adjusting technique such as D.N.F.T.® Chiropractic is beneficial when you have Geriatric considerations
.