Learn more about how Chiropractic Care has been studied and proven to be safer and more effective for Seniors, when compared to traditional medical care.

Many researchers have determined that chiropractic care can safely and effectively treat various spine-related issues. The American Chiropractic Association has listed multiple studies on their website that demonstrate the importance and effectiveness of chiropractic when relieving (and at times resolving) back and neck pain, headaches, and more.

Determining Safety and Effectiveness for Seniors

Two individuals are seen holding hands and walking through a busy street during the day.

“Researchers set out to determine whether chiropractic was as safe and effective for senior patients as it is for more younger patients encountering these kinds of issues.”

While this is beneficial news for experts practicing spinal manipulation, researchers set out to determine whether chiropractic was as safe and effective for senior patients as it is for more younger patients encountering these kinds of issues. They set out to in search of their answer, which was determined by means of a retrospective cohort study funded by NIH and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, which was consequently reported on in Spine upon its conclusion.

Researchers needed to determine whether the connection between the potential risk of injury to individuals 66 years of age and older while receiving chiropractic care was higher than, lower than, or equivalent to the risk of injury to this same age group after experiencing medical care from their primary doctor. To discover their answer, they examined information on Medicare B patients who visited their primary doctor in 2007 for a neuromusculoskeletal issue, assessing their risk of injury seven days after treatment.

Study’s Conclusion

3 individuals are seen riding their bikes near a pond, with a dog in a basket on the back of one of the bikes.

“Seniors receiving chiropractic care had a 76% reduced rate of injury inside seven days of treatment.”

Researchers found that seniors receiving chiropractic care had a 76% reduced rate of injury inside seven days of treatment when compared with subjects that met with their primary doctor because of a neuromusculoskeletal issue. Additionally, researchers called attention to males in the study that were considered seniors, and those with a higher Charlson co-morbidity score were at a higher risk of damage inside a week after being diagnosed with a neuromusculoskeletal issue.

Furthermore, certain medical conditions increased the risk of injury, even after chiropractic care. Due to this, professionals are advised to consider whether treatment by means of spinal manipulation is best for “patients with coagulation defects, inflammatory spondylopathy, osteoporosis, aortic aneurysm & dissection, or [those who have engaged in] long term use of anticoagulant therapy” as increased risk of injury may not be justified, regardless of the potential advantages.