It is inevitable that we age, but do you ever wonder what is it that leads to elder years full of enjoyment, adventure and life dreams come to reality? Why is it that some seniors remain active, vibrant, and maintain their independence well into their later years? While others seem to age way before their time and need nursing home support early on?
There aren’t any magic beans or fountains of youth to reverse the aging process, but you can take steps to care for your body to uphold your quality of life and thrive. One of these steps is maintaining your postural prowess well into your winter years.
Your postural health is important for your mobility and ability to be active and participate in all aspects of daily life. From simple tasks like dressing yourself, to cooking and cleaning, to more complex activities like hiking, traveling, and playing with grand kids, your ability to move ultimately determines whether you remain young at heart or engage in youthful enjoyment.
The truth is that the more your posture declines with age the more your quality of life declines (1). Poor posture leads to many musculoskeletal conditions that get worse with age. Research shows a strong connection between pain and being sedentary that leads to increased frailty, functional decline, depression, loss of independence (1) and loss of wellbeing. Poor posture also puts you at a higher risk of falls, poor balance, increased fall frequency, secondary injuries (like spinal fractures), long term pain, and poor recovery time. Poor posture has even been shown to affect breathing, heart function and digestive function.
Neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s occur with too much frequency in our aging population. These diseases are often linked to poor blood flow to the brain. A recent clinical study showed that increasing the curve of the neck increases blood flow directly to the brain!! (2) Bringing the curve back in the neck helps blood flow return and may be a way to help heal the brain of injuries including stroke and neurodegenerative diseases.
So what can you do? Corrective Chiropractic is a system based on prevention and health promotion through postural correction. Corrective Chiropractic enacts the body’s natural healing ability to resist gravity and maintain vital flow through the nervous system and to all the vital organs of your body. Also, by correcting and maintaining healthy posture, your body will age more gracefully and help you lead a full and vibrant life.
Remember, it’s never too soon to age well!
References
1. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2013 Jul;68(7):869-75. doi: 10.1093/gerona/gls253. Epub 2013 Jan 28. Spinal posture in the sagittal plane is associated with future dependence in activities of daily living: a community-based cohort study of older adults in Japan. Kamitani K1, Michikawa T, Iwasawa S, Eto N, Tanaka T, Takebayashi T, Nishiwaki Y.
2. Brain Circ. 2019 Jan-Mar; 5(1): 19–26. Increase in cerebral blood flow indicated by increased cerebral arterial area and pixel intensity on brain magnetic resonance angiogram following correction of cervical lordosis. Evan A Katz, Seana B Katz, Curtis A Fedorchuk,1 Douglas F Lightstone,1 Chris J Banach, and Jessica D Podoll2
