Should You Go to the Chiropractor If You Have Osteoporosis?
It ended up being a happy day for an 83-year-old man when he realized he could now continue to take care of his wife, who was disabled.
He had been diagnosed with leukemia in the past and this had somehow led to multiple fractures of the low back vertebrae due to osteoporosis and degenerative joint disease. This man was in severe pain most of the time and it was no wonder – his chiropractor found that his head was tilted and not straight (this causes pain), his right shoulder and pelvis was higher than the other, and he was bent over due to the spasms and pain in his whole lower back.
Well, when you know your bones are so brittle that lifting a window could cause a new fracture, you might be a little afraid to get a standard chiropractic adjustment. Rightfully so, as an adjustment could put far too much force on a porous bone and end up breaking it.
This is the primary reason why you should never get standard chiropractic adjustments when you have osteoporosis.
The chiropractor this man visited though was skilled in using another method of chiropractic called the Activator. In this method, a tool is used that delivers the impulse needed to stimulate the nerve – without too much force and without manual twisting of any type. The chiropractor used the Activator method on him for 8 treatments. This stabilized the man for the next four months, and his pain – rated a 10, the most severe on the pain scale - was – reduced all the way down to 4. The best part about all of this for the man was that now he could resume taking care of his wife.
What Many People Forget
Bone healing needs several things to occur: good nutrition with plenty of minerals, stress such as from weight training, good circulation and nerve impulses. It’s often the nerve impulse part of the equation that’s forgotten.
Guidelines for Getting Chiropractic Treatments When You Have Brittle Bones
If you have osteoporosis, there are some guidelines to remember with regards to the nerve part of the equation. Here they are:
- You’ll need a chiropractor that has worked with patients that have had osteoporosis in the past. Success with other patients breeds your success. Don’t be afraid to ask them how many patients they have worked with that have had osteoporosis.
- After you find out they have worked with osteoporosis patients, ask what type of chiropractic manipulation they use. The Activator method is successful at delivering the nerve impulse to the vertebrae in the spine and creating a response in the nervous system. The ProAdjuster is another method successful at delivering the nerve impulse to the vertebrae/nervous system. Both these methods won’t break any vertebrae. Select someone who uses one of these methods.
- Ask if the chiropractor can create a complete diet program and supplement program to rebuild your bones from the inside out. Remember that the traditional medical view to simply increase calcium and vitamin D is not sufficient. You need all the vitamins and minerals in amounts to replenish deficiencies to get over osteoporosis. If the chiropractor is unable to provide this, ask for a referral to a qualified health practitioner in your area who can accommodate you.
- Find out if the cost of the services matches your budget.
Now get started! Your bones are waiting for your decision!