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December 16, 2014

Falling.

Not a bad thing when you’re young. You get yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again. But when you get older, falling is more menacing: risk of hip fracture, broken bones, slower healing. Johnson Chiropractic knows this and encourages its Richmond patients and friends to be careful and be aware of skills to prevent falls. One of the best skills to prevent falling is good posture.

But, first, what makes falling such a danger in need of prevention? Johnson Chiropractic offers these statistics:

  • Image of person fallingFalls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older folks. (1)
  • 1 in 3 of those over 65 years falls each year. (1)
  • Falls cost $30 billion in direct medical fees. (1)
  • The most common fractures due to falls are to the spine, hip, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper arm and hand. (1)
  • More than 95% of hip fractures are due to falling. (2)
  • Women suffer 75% of all falls (2), but more men die from hip fractures due to falls (1).
  • Many develop a fear of falling which limits their activity. (1)

So how many older Richmond people do you know who have fallen? Probably a few. Johnson Chiropractic takes care of many Richmond patients and loved ones after a fall and finds these folks much more cautious. Johnson Chiropractic encourages them to keep moving, check for and treat any osteoporosis risk there may be, and boost calcium and vitamin D intake to improve bone health as much as possible. Johnson Chiropractic sees itself as a member of the team to prevent falls.

A new research report Johnson Chiropractic just came across discusses the importance of good posture in the prevention of falling. Good posture lends itself to good balance which reduces the chance of falling. (3) A flexed forward posture in which the head leans forward and the upper back curves to some extent disrupts your center of mass. Such curvature of the spine may even be due to past vertebral fractures. Whatever the cause, this posture forces you to lean forward awkwardly, setting you up for a fall. (3) Johnson Chiropractic’s chiropractic spinal manipulation may help correct this. With gentle, safe spinal manipulation, your Richmond chiropractic physician - your Richmond back pain specialist - helps improve mobility in the upper spine and potentially reset your balance.

Richmond chiropractic care with Cox Technic and simple exercise and basic supplementation may reduce your fear of falling and even improve your posture when walking. Just a discussion between you and your Richmond chiropractor to increase your awareness about your environment and its risks for falling is beneficial. Contact Johnson Chiropractic to set up your next chiropractic visit as a step toward better posture and reduced fall risk.

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