Many seniors in Rockville, MD take advantage of all the programs and services that are offered at the Senior Center, located at 1150 Carnation Drive. The center offers seniors the opportunity to go on day trips, such as garden tours and sporting events. There are different services seniors can sign up for, such as having volunteers come and shovel them out during snowstorms. The center also offers a wide variety of classes and workshops, including several exercise classes developed specifically for seniors.

It is important as seniors age that they stay active and involved. This helps contribute to their overall quality of life. Unfortunately, there are situations where a senior may not be as active as they would like because of health conditions. This is where a Rockville, MD chiropractor can help.

Chiropractic Treatments for Seniors

Many people think that chiropractors can only help patients who have been injured in a car, work, or sporting accident. While a chiropractor can provide a patient with significant relief for those types of issues, seniors can also greatly benefit from chiropractic treatments.

The entire body and its functions are controlled by the brain. Communication between the brain and the body takes place through the nervous system. This system is located in the spinal cord. Each nerve root is housed in the spine and all the nerves that travel throughout the body through which these messages from the brain are sent begin at the nerve roots. The clearer the communication, the better the body operates. When there is spinal degeneration or limited mobility of the spine, this can have a negative impact on that brain to nerve communication.

Chiropractic adjustments can help with spinal joint mobility, which will help increase the nervous system’s communication ability. If “maintenance” of the spine’s health and mobility isn’t taken care of, it can result in issues that have an impact on quality of life. This is why many people over time end up with poor posture (hunched over) and a significant reduction in motion range.

Over time, this “improper” motion of the spine leads to the degrading of the spine, as well as affecting the health of the body’s joints and bones. Since the body is self-healing, it will try to correct this problem by adding new bone to stabilize this improper motion and other functioning. This is how arthritis begins.

Arthritis and Chiropractic Treatments

There are many different forms of arthritis that seniors can suffer from, all caused by degenerative joint disease, which is really not a disease but instead is caused by that prolonged improper function and motion described above. Chiropractors can help seniors who are suffering from the following types of arthritis:

  • Osteoarthritis – The loss of cartilage between joints that occurs as we get older can cause friction from joints rubbing together, leading to pain, stiffness, and swelling. Chiropractic care can help restore spinal alignment and address the lubricant deficiency from lack of cartilage. Adjustments can also help alleviate pain by restoring proper nerve communication.
  • Rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis – Although these two types of arthritis are not caused by degeneration, they can still be successfully treated with chiropractic treatments. These two types of arthritis are caused by a decrease in fluid or joint tissue which causes the inflammation and pain that patients suffer. If there is a misalignment of the spine, the inflammation in the joints can worsen because of the lack of fluid and healthy blood flowing to the joints. Restoring nerve communication through adjustments can help reduce inflammation and alleviate symptoms.

Call Our Clinic Today

If you are a senior and would like to find out more about how a Rockville, MD chiropractor from AmeriWell Clinic can help, call our office to schedule a consultation.