Spinal Care & the Aging Society

As we continue into the 21st century new health care challenges are emerging. The aging of society is a looming threat to the current health care system. In 15 years from 2015 to 2030 the global population of people over 60 years old will increase by 56% from 900 million to 1.5 billion people.

Life span has hit a plateau now the focus has shifted to increasing health span. In a 2018 article from the Journal of the American Medical Association titled ‘From Life Span to Health Span’ it talks about future goals of healthcare is to compress the time at the end of life for frailty and disability. Health span is not about adding more years to your life but about adding more life to your years.

The best way to increase your health span is being proactive with your health. Spinal health is an important component to decrease frailty and disability. Adult spinal deformity is present in 60% of the aging population. Adult spinal deformity is also associated with multiple conditions including trunk muscle weakness, disc degeneration, vertebral fracture, and spondylotic changes. As we age our spines get stuck and locked into a stressed position resulting in it breaking down at an accelerated rate. As the spine degenerates it doesn’t always cause pain but it does result in dysfunction and disability.

At Gravity Spinal Chiropractic spinal care is our specialty. It is never to late to address your spinal health. However procrastination is a thief of health. The earlier spinal deformity is addressed the greater possibility for better outcomes.

Betsch M, et al. Influence of Leg Length Inequalitites on Pelvis and Spine in Patients with Total Hip Arthroplasty. PLoS One. 2019 Aug 27; 14(8): e0221695.

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1. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Population Ageing. 2015 (ST/ESA/SER.A/390).

2. Olshansky, S.. (2018). From Lifespan to Healthspan. JAMA. 320. 10.1001/jama.2018.12621.

3. Ailon T, et. al. Degenerative Spinal Deformity. Neurosurgery. 2015 Oct; 77 suppl 4:S75-91.

4. Schwab F., Ungar B., Blondel B., et al. Scoliosis research society-schwab adult spinal deformity classification: a validation study. The Spine Journal. 2012;37(12):1077–1082.

5. Betsch M, et al. Influence of Leg Length Inequalitites on Pelvis and Spine in Patients with Total Hip Arthroplasty. PLoS One. 2019 Aug 27; 14(8): e0221695.

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