Dr. Harriott's Comments:
Chiropractic has a significant role in fall prevention as well... Balance is a result of successful integration of accurate sensory inputs and muscular control. Sensory inputs include middle ear vestibular feedback, visual signals, as well as neurological feedback of our position in space from the mechanoreceptors in our joints.
Joint dysfunction, which is a primary area of focus in chiropractic, causes inhibition of muscular control, and faulty position sense feedback from our joints. Also, when pain signals dominate the feedback then mechanoreceptor signals of our position in space is compromised. So proper management of painful joint dysfunction then is clearly another important part of fall prevention that high quality chiropractic care can assist with.
With the recent study (see full text here) showing that all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) pose cardiovascular threats of increased incidence of stroke and infarction on the order 2 to 4 times, it is clear that simply "dealing with it" isn't a reasonable option for the elderly, or anyone else for that matter.
Everyone needs a chiropractor on their healthcare team. In Mission Viejo, everyone has a chiropractor at Mission Viejo Chiropractic, whether they know it or not.
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January 13, 2011 — The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the British Geriatric Society (BGS) have updated their 2001 guidelines on preventing falls in older persons and have published a summary of the new recommendations online January 13 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. All healthcare practices for older adults should include fall screening and prevention, with new assessments involving feet and footwear, fear of falling, and ability to carry out daily living activities. All interventions for fall prevention should include an exercise component, with additional interventions to be considered including starting tai chi and reducing medications.
Chiropractic has a significant role in fall prevention as well... Balance is a result of successful integration of accurate sensory inputs and muscular control. Sensory inputs include middle ear vestibular feedback, visual signals, as well as neurological feedback of our position in space from the mechanoreceptors in our joints.
Joint dysfunction, which is a primary area of focus in chiropractic, causes inhibition of muscular control, and faulty position sense feedback from our joints. Also, when pain signals dominate the feedback then mechanoreceptor signals of our position in space is compromised. So proper management of painful joint dysfunction then is clearly another important part of fall prevention that high quality chiropractic care can assist with.
With the recent study (see full text here) showing that all non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) pose cardiovascular threats of increased incidence of stroke and infarction on the order 2 to 4 times, it is clear that simply "dealing with it" isn't a reasonable option for the elderly, or anyone else for that matter.
Everyone needs a chiropractor on their healthcare team. In Mission Viejo, everyone has a chiropractor at Mission Viejo Chiropractic, whether they know it or not.
==================================
January 13, 2011 — The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the British Geriatric Society (BGS) have updated their 2001 guidelines on preventing falls in older persons and have published a summary of the new recommendations online January 13 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. All healthcare practices for older adults should include fall screening and prevention, with new assessments involving feet and footwear, fear of falling, and ability to carry out daily living activities. All interventions for fall prevention should include an exercise component, with additional interventions to be considered including starting tai chi and reducing medications.
New Recommendations
Recommendations for interventions that are new since the 2001 guidelines include the following:
- Multifactorial interventions should always include an exercise component, such as tai chi, physical therapy, or other exercise for balance, gait, and strength training, in group programs or as individual programs at home. Endurance and flexibility training may be prescribed, but not apart from strength training. On the basis of currently available evidence, exercise programs are recommended only for community-dwelling older persons.
- Environmental adaptation by a healthcare professional should be considered to reduce factors in the home and in daily activities that could increase fall risk.
- Cataract surgery should be performed if indicated, but this or other vision intervention should not be administered in isolation apart from a multifactorial assessment and intervention strategy.
- Medication reduction or withdrawal is recommended, particularly for sedatives, antidepressants, and other drugs affecting the central nervous system, regardless of the number of medications prescribed. This is a change from the 2001 guidelines, which recommended reducing medications only if patients were taking 4 or more.
- Orthostatic hypotension, arrhythmias, and heart rate abnormalities should be managed appropriately as part of a multifactorial intervention strategy. Older persons with cardioinhibitory carotid sinus hypersensitivity who have unexplained recurrent falls may benefit from dual-chamber cardiac pacing.
- All older adults at risk for falls, and those with known or suspected vitamin D deficiency, should receive a daily Vitamin D supplement (800 IU).
