Aging gets blamed for a lot of ills…including neck motion changes. You’re not alone if you discover
that you do not rotate your head quite as easily
or as far as you used to or that you don’t flex or extend it like you once could. Degenerative discs and
vertebrae and associated osteophytes contribute to limiting movement. Layden Chiropractic is ready to help your neck motions
with gentle chiropractic treatment!
CERVICAL SPINE MOTION
Physiological motion of the spine has a nice ring to it, does it not? It does! In the cervical
spine, researchers have described how a consistent sequence of
cervical segmental contributions function when the neck moves. This
sequence is typical in 80-90% of young healthy persons. But what
about the motions in aging spines of older folks?
Reduced motion has been connected
to aging. A newer study by some inquisitive researchers
set out to determine if such consistent neck
motions in elderly asymptomatic persons resembled the motions in asymptomatic
young persons. They didn’t. They concluded that aging - as
demonstrated by the motion patterns seen in elderly asymptomatic persons - was linked
to a loss of consistent motion patterns as seen
in young asymptomatic persons. For example, the consistent pattern in young
asymptomatic persons was found in only 10% of the older persons at T1 and 0% at
T2. (1) As our Plainville chiropractic friends and family age along
with us, we’re not alone in seeing motion
changes. Layden Chiropractic offers gentle Cox® Technic treatment in
order to bring as much motion to spinal segments
as they’ll allow. If you see limitations in your neck
motions, let us know! We can examine you to find the usual sources
that may be the cause.
WHAT COMES WITH AGING THAT LIMITS NECK MOTION: Osteophytes
Osteophytes are commonly seen in elderly
folks’ vertebrae of the lumbar and cervical spines. Anterior osteophytes keep
growing and eventually provoke neck pain
or back pain. Since osteophytes are so common and result in such pain, researchers determined a way to predict the mean
time to onset of pain and the path of degeneration that occurs
in these vertebrae based on data from following patients’ osteophytes
for 9 years. (2) We know our Plainville chiropractic patients with
osteophytes aren’t as curious as to how long ago their osteophytes
started, but rather how our chiropractic care can help! Here’s an
interesting case concerning osteophytes and relieving chiropractic
care: Osteophytes may contribute to patients’
developing dysphagia (aka difficulty with swallowing). A case report detailed the presentation
of a 53-year-old woman with a sore throat, difficulty swallowing solid foods,
and acid reflux. Her imaging showed anterior osteophytes as well
as kyphosis (abnormal curvature) of her cervical spine and thoracolumbar
scoliosis, any of which could contribute to her dysphagia. Six
months of chiropractic care resolved her issues. (3) Chiropractic care works!
CONTACT Layden Chiropractic
Listen to the PODCAST
with Dr. Shay Corbin on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr.
Michael Johnson as he describes the effective, gentle treatment with the Cox® Technic System
of Spinal Pain Management for his musician patient experiencing
neck and back pain.
Schedule your next Plainville
chiropractic appointment with Layden Chiropractic. Bring your aging spine, your
less-than-flexible cervical spine, your immobile neck
to our clinic. We can work toward improved motion!
"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the
DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by
Dr. James M. Cox I."