Steady as She Goes
Balance is a prime example of the phrase “if you don’t use it, you lose it”. Some of you youthfully challenged individuals can most likely attest to this. Balance isn’t just for yoga or crazy gym workouts but rather is vital for the longevity and quality of your life. Research even shows a correlation between poor balance and increased mortality rates due to increased likelihood of falls, injuries, and increased risk of the presence of other diseases.
The quality of your balance is deeply rooted in your nervous system; In particular, how well your brain is communicating with your spine and vice versa. The big factor in play with this is proprioception, which is how well your brain can perceive where your body is in space without looking. This can be degraded even by your head position. Along with proprioception, your reflexes and posture control are critical for maintaining balance. Reflexes are a complex loop of communication between the spinal cord and brain, and posture control we can think of as your body’s ability to adjust to gravity and position changes by swaying or leaning for example.
While there are a multitude of factors that can contribute to poor balance like medications or diseases, chiropractic can help correct and delay the natural decline of balance. The proof is in the pudding. Research shows that chiropractic care can improve several key contributors to poor balance, like proprioception and sensory integration. A 12-week study found that chiropractic care improved multisensory integration which contributes to fall risk. It’s never too late to start working on improving your balance and your adjustments are a great way to do just that!
Xie K, Han X, Hu X. Balance ability and all-cause death in middle-aged and older adults: A prospective cohort study. Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 9;10:1039522. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1039522. PMID: 36699907; PMCID: PMC9868834
Araujo CG, de Souza e Silva CG, Laukkanen JA, et al Successful 10-second one-legged stance performance predicts survival in middle-aged and older individuals British Journal of Sports Medicine 2022;56:975-980.
Holt KR, Haavik H, Lee AC, Murphy B, Elley CR. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to Improve Sensorimotor Function Associated With Falls Risk in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2016 May;39(4):267-78. doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2016.02.003. Epub 2016 Apr 2. PMID: 27050038.
