Regular users of chiropractic care understand how chiropractic care improves how they feel and function. One of the malfunctions common to the elderly is loss of balance and how they move. Many problems with falling begin years before the fall and the typical medical management of treating the knee, hip, shoulder, or back issue is treating the symptom when the problem is movement. A person may recover from knee, back, shoulder, or neck problems, but these are problems with movement. Patients who have received chiropractic manipulation move better and feel better. Those whose care includes muscle work such as myofascial release move even better and those instructed in exercises move even better. The segmentation of care common in today’s healthcare misses the fact that movement begins from the ground up and we all adapt but do we adapt well? Most of these patients are now taking multiple medications as a result. Can you see this if you look at the knee or hip but are not looking at the patient? Giving a patient a walker years later while they now have vertigo, a common manifestation of impaired movement, and its effect on the leveling mechanisms in the brain when the problem has become chronic is ineffective. Giving a patient a walker when more appropriate care years prior may have prevented these problems is not only bad healthcare, but results in knee, hip, and other joint replacements when the condition was movement all along. Movement is holistic, and chiropractors approach care holistically, meaning they look at how you move, and function. Beginning chiropractic care earlier in life instead of visiting a doctor specializing in the part improves how we move as we age. A recent study shows growing evidence that chiropractic care reduces falls in the elderly. Check it out below Chiropractic Spinal Manipulation and Fall Risk in Older Adults With Spinal Pain: Observational Findings From a Matched Retrospective Cohort Study While this study shows chiropractic care reduces falls, it also reduces pain, the need for medication which has been shown to cause chronicity, and eventually joint damage that results in the need for joint replacement. The irony is, that this is all preventable. Ironically, Medicare still does not fully cover chiropractic care even though their approach is more cost-effective and has long-term benefits in the quality of life of seniors. It is time that our legislators act on our legislation that covers seniors who have Medicare and Advantage plans fully according to the state licensure, as it is covered in most insurance plans. In 2024, the House bill had 180 co-sponsors and more Republicans signed on than Democrats, in the bipartisan bills. You can read more about the bills that were reintroduced here. By contacting your legislators, you can help force a vote on legislation that has more sponsors historically than any other chiropractic bills historically have ever had. After years of making mistakes in healthcare that have caused the price of coverage to escalate year after year, these bills can help give seniors better options than the risky ones such as joint replacements, chronic spinal degeneration, management of pain regardless of the cause and the eventual loss of movement causing them to fall. Why choose chiropractic first for pain and most injuries? Chiropractors are the only profession that is primary care for the musculoskeletal system. Chiropractic care is affordable. Chiropractic sports physicians have additional training for not only athletes but also problems in the feet, knees, back, sciatic pain shoulders arms, and wrists. You can expect a thorough history and exam and usually, care begins the same day. Chiropractors will often take or refer for x-rays if needed. Our office in North Brunswick has maintained an X-ray machine on the premises. Often, when the problems begin from the ground up, we may recommend foot orthotics to level the hips which improves how you move and function. Chiropractic care keeps it simple and we do our best to see you as soon as possible, rather than wait weeks or months for a specialist who looks at your part rather than the painful part in the context of how you move. If you require medical attention, we will refer you to the appropriate test or provider if needed. Need help now? Book online today or call.