Aging gets blamed for a lot of ills…including neck motion changes. You’re not alone if you realize
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 in
the same way as you once did. Degenerative discs and
vertebrae and associated osteophytes contribute to limiting movement. Pflugerville Wellness Center is here 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 work 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?
Decreased motion has been connected
to aging. A recent 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 found that aging - as
demonstrated by the motion patterns seen in elderly asymptomatic persons - was associated with 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 Pflugerville chiropractic friends and family age along
with us, we’re not alone in feeling motion
changes. Pflugerville Wellness Center delivers gentle Cox® Technic treatment in order to allow as much movement to spinal segments
as possible. If you see limitations in your neck
motions, let us know! We can examine you to find the usual culprits
that may be the cause.
WHAT COMES WITH AGING THAT LIMITS NECK MOTION: Osteophytes
Osteophytes are frequently seen in elderly
folks’ vertebrae of the lumbar and cervical spines. Anterior osteophytes keep
developing and eventually bring about 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 course of degeneration that occurs
in these vertebrae based on information from following patients’ osteophytes
for 9 years. (2) We know our Pflugerville 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 involving 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 impact her dysphagia. Six
months of chiropractic care relieved her issues. (3) Chiropractic care works!
CONTACT Pflugerville Wellness Center
Listen to the PODCAST
with Dr. Shay Corbin on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr.
Michael Johnson as he shares the effectiveness
and gentleness of the Cox® Technic System
of Spinal Pain Management for his musician patient experiencing
neck and back pain.
Make your next Pflugerville
chiropractic appointment with Pflugerville Wellness Center. Bring your aging spine, your
less-than-mobile cervical spine, your immobile neck
to our clinic. We can work toward better mobility!
"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."