As we get older are joints and muscles become stiffer. For many people their bodies have experienced multiple cycles of injury, pain and inflammation, some degree of compensation in the area of injury, and then adaptation of the surrounding muscles, joints and ligaments. Once the inflammation subsides and the pain is gone, either by rest or medications, they feel they are healed. Unfortunately, these injuries often result in misaligned joints that do not move as well and muscle adhesions resulting in decreased flexibility. The body will adaptively move to avoid pain during the episode. Depending on the duration of pain and the amount of structures involved a certain degree of compensation occurs. All of this results in your body altering the way it moves and carries itself.
In otherwords, our movement patterns change and now follow the path of least resistance. Over time the amount of muscle fibers recruited for movement becomes lessoned. Other muscles are used incorrectly and become shortened or lengthened. This results in pain and or weakness in those areas of the body. Our body further adapts or compensates by altering our posture to adapt to the changes in muscles and joints. In addition, the restriction in joint movement puts additional stress on the surrounding ligaments, muscles and fibrocartilage resulting in degenerative joint changes. The associated joint restriction also results in altered messages being received and sent through the nervous system, resulting in further aberrations of movement and function. The resulting cycle contributes to advanced aging of local joint and muscle tissue. The resulting cycle often inhibits easy movement and exercise. Statistically, the inability to exercise is related to earlier mortality.
In addition to alterations of movement, our posture, the way we balance our body is also disrupted. Altered neural signals from joint restriction or dysfunction make it more difficult to balance. Research demonstrates that older individuals with poor balance have a greater incidence of falls. Furthermore, research on the elderly states that falling is an increased risk for earlier mortality. In addition, forward head posture results in increased risk of falls. Rounding of the shoulders and tightening of the anterior chest muscles result in decreased ability to breath and may contribute to cardiopulmonary problems.
At this point it is easy to see how poor posture, balance and motion can contribute to advanced aging and earlier death, but how can chiropractic and posture exercise effect this process. Chiropractic works by finding and correcting joints that are misaligned and locked. Adjustments restore normal position and motion in the joint making it easier to move. In addition, the adjustment results in the normal transmission of nerve signals from the brain to the body and body to brain. This normal nerve transmission is essential for proper balance and muscle contraction, as well as for your internal organs to function properly. Restoring proper position to the joint with the adjustment allows for better alignment of all body tissues. Chiropractic often incorporates massages techniques to areas of tight muscles resulting in the breaking of adhesions and improved movement and flexibility. Once the joints are unlocked and aligned from the adjustments, and the muscles stretched and relaxed from the massage techniques, your body is ready to be retrained to move and hold itself. The application of specific postural rehabilitation exercises helps to retrain muscles to move properly and balance exercises help us better hold our body in a more aligned position. The combination of chiropractic adjustments, massage and stretching techniques and focused exercises allow for positive changes in our balance, movement and alignment. These positive changes allow us to move better as we age and better adapt to the external stresses the body faces on a daily basis. In summary, the positive changes in our body as a result of the application of chiropractic and posture exercises result in a reversal of the conditions described above that lead to premature aging and mortality. Because of this, chiropractic and posture exercises can truly be described as and anti-aging therapy.
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