Never Move Too Far From a Chiropractor

By Editorial Staff

Your spine is designed to handle a great deal of life's daily stresses, but over time, it all adds up. As we age, the discs that cushion the spinal vertebrae begin to shrink and wear down; while the spinal column can narrow, pinching the spinal cord and spinal nerves. The result in many cases: pain, stiffness, and a decline in overall function and mobility.

Bad news at any time, but as we get up in years, those are exactly the things we want to avoid. After all, isn't living a relatively pain-free, fully functional life what everyone envisions enjoying in their Golden Years? That's where your chiropractor comes in, and not just from a health perspective.

Researchers studying Medicare patients with spine conditions who relocated at least once during a five-year period made a fascinating discovery: Older adults who moved to an area with higher chiropractic accessibility (in other words, easier access to the services of a chiropractor) spent less on spine care than seniors who moved to an area with lower chiropractic accessibility (more difficult access to chiropractic services).

Easier access to a chiropractor presumably meant an easier time managing their spine condition with chiropractic, rather than medical care. In fact, researchers noted that costs for medical evaluation and management, and diagnostic imaging and testing, were impacted (higher or lower) when access to chiropractic was higher or lower, respectively. Findings appeared in the American Journal of Managed Care.

Americans spend more on health care than any other nation in the world, and evidence suggests much of that spending comes by way of Medicare and other federal health systems. Could better access to chiropractic be the solution? When it comes to spinal care, the numbers don't lie. And of course, we haven't even talked about the benefits of chiropractic for lifelong spinal health – but your chiropractor certainly can. Just ask.