Old Bones, New Thinking
Too often people attribute arthritis to getting older or that it is inherited. Too often a medical doctor’s advice is drugs or for you to do less.
Read on to change your life. This condition may be PREVENTED.
Arthritis happens when untreated injuries and uncorrected joint misalignments cause degeneration in the joints and discs. Osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, and degenerative disc disease all describe the same process: slow wear and tear of a joint whether in the spine or the extremities.
Regardless of age, when joint damage goes uncorrected the body deposits calcium on the surface of adjacent bones that are not moving properly. As we age, this damage accumulates. For example, old sports injuries, ski accidents from years ago and previous car accidents impact our bodies many years later. It is these calcium deposits that cause degeneration or arthritis in the spine and extremities and, ultimately, fusion and loss of mobility.
Warning signs
The early phase of arthritis may go unnoticed. There may be no warning signs or symptoms. As time passes, stiffness that is initially intermittent will become more long lasting. The stiffness felt briefly at the start of the day will last longer and longer throughout the day. Then, pain presents. This pain becomes more predominant. If neglected long enough, fusion of the involved joints will lead to loss of motion and mobility. Atrophy of muscles, permanent nerve damage and soft tissue degeneration follow. Simply put, quality of life diminishes.
Unique approach of Dr. Kjaer
It’s no secret that people have more problems in their muscles, joints and ligaments as they age. What is not widely shared is the reality that not every ache and pain we feel as we age is inevitable or untreatable. Dr. Kjaer shares this message with the many seniors he helps. The elderly are often told that their complaints are just part of growing old. Our patients tell us how refreshing it is to know that there is a reason for the pain and that a treatment is offered that can improve their mobility naturally.
Chiropractic care for seniors is an active area of scientific research. Techniques of diagnosis and treatment are constantly improving. Dr. Kjaer takes precautions and modifies treatments to suit older patients just as he would for children.
Dr. Kjaer uses his hands and can also apply the “Activator Technique”. This is an instrument-assisted technique. The handheld Activator instrument delivers a controlled “push” in a specific direction to a specific joint. Like with any treatment, results vary from person to person. This can be an alternative to those patients that are uncomfortable with “hands-on” treatment. The sooner this degenerative process is interrupted, the greater the likelihood of success.
Just as Dr. Kjaer would for any of his patients, he guides the seniors he treats on exercise, nutrition and individualized stretching routines. These factors speed up their progress in the short term and are crucial elements in maintaining overall mobility in the long term.
Dr. Kjaer has been helping seniors for more than 20 years. Our elderly patients tell us they are more active in the community, less likely to be hospitalized due to a fall and exercise more regularly than had they not been under chiropractic care. They are more mobile and generally feel better.
The goal is to restore proper motion and function to the arthritic joints so they work with as little friction or stress as possible. It could make you a lot younger!!