Our Bodies, Ourselves:

Chiropractic Care at

Middle Age

by Robin Bonner,
with Dr. Daniel Young

Why Me?
After 35, we find we’re just not as spry as we used to be. Joints ache, muscles ache, and sprains come more frequently to we weekend warriors. We find we just can’t take our bodies for granted any longer. In addition, we’re caring for older parents. For the first time, we’re facing their mortality and so also our own. We have a choice: We can sit and watch our metabolism slow down, our weight creep up, our muscles atrophy, and our risk of heart disease and other illnesses skyrocket.

Or, we can fight back. We can watch what we eat. We can engage in physical activity wherever we can find it. In short, we can be in tune with our body—give it what it needs, so it serves us long and well. And some people find that chiropractic therapy can help.

Chiropractic Basics
A chiropractic doctor manipulates the vertebrae of the spine to release pressure on the nerves that run through it. These nerves serve as conduits of information from the brain to every cell of the body. Trauma or disease can cause the vertebrae to misalign (subluxations) and pinch nerves, cutting off nerve impulses. Chiropractic philosophy holds that if nerve pathways are kept unobstructed, much of the time the body will heal itself.

For many, chiropractic, used with massage, on a regular basis gives a new lease on life. (Tight muscles pull on the spine, and vertebrae misalign. Chiropractic corrects that, but massage helps prevent it.) Chiropractic therapy does more than treat symptoms. It gets at the root of the problem and lets the body do what it does best: regenerate itself.

Fixing What Ails Us
As we approach middle age, our children are grown and for the most part are out on their own. Perhaps for the first time, we have the "luxury" of thinking about our own needs. We have more time, and perhaps more money, to spend on ourselves. We realize we need to pay attention to our body. We cut down on fat and sugar. We join a gym. We get out on our bicycles. We do things we never thought we would: We ski. We rock climb. We challenge ourselves.

And, we focus on our chronic aches and pains. Instead of continuing to live with them, though, or just to relieve the symptoms, we want to get to the root of the problem. What’s causing them? What can we do about it? We ignored them for so long. It’s now time to do something. So, we explore alternative therapies: massage, chiropractic, acupuncture, Pilates, yoga. We find we feel better. We’re more flexible. We have less pain. Moreover, because of our new activities, we’re losing weight. We feel strong.

An Inside View
Dan Young, a doctor of chiropractic, agrees. He did his undergrad in premed, but decided against medical school. "I didn’t like the medical approach," he admits. "Much of traditional medicine is about treating symptoms. It doesn’t get to the cause of the problem. The strength of medicine is acute care." After college, Young thought about what he wanted to do with his life. Then, with a young family and a full-time job, he decided to put himself through chiropractic school. As he tells it, "Nothing good ever comes easy. But, choosing chiropractic was the best thing I ever did." Young’s been in practice 18 years. He doesn’t advertise. Most of his new patients come through referrals.

Young estimates 50 to 60 percent of his patients are between the ages of 40 and 60. Chiropractic therapy gives these middle-agers relief from a variety of ailments. "Arthritis in the spine is one area in which we’ve had success," he says. "We’ve also helped with digestive problems: Spinal manipulation frees up the nerves of the digestive system. Many patients find they’re feeling a lot better, when drugs haven’t helped them." Young continues, "Our middle-aged patients frequently comment that they have increased energy, they sleep better, and they have an overall sense of well-being."

According to Dr. Young, chiropractic therapy can help middle-aged patients with:
• Spinal arthritis
• Digestive problems
• Low energy
• Sleeping problems
• General sense of well-being

In his practice, Young sees patients of all ages—from the occasional infant with colic, to the elderly. One 78-year-old patient tells an interesting story. When he was a baby, he was losing weight and no one knew why. After they tried everything else, his parents took a chance on chiropractic care. In the 1930s, however, chiropractic therapy was illegal (because it was impossible to get a license). The care saved the baby’s life but landed the practitioner in jail. The young patient’s father was a lawyer, though, and gained the therapist’s release. And, of course, the patient lived to a ripe old age.

Chiropractic care has come a long way since. It is now a well-respected profession, and its practitioners treat many ailments:
• Allergies and asthma
• Skin conditions
• Spine and nerve pain
• Sciatica
• Emotional conditions
• Neurological conditions

Dr. Young hopes more funding will become available for research into chiropractic benefits. He offers some advice to middle-agers: "Keep your body in tune. Don’t wait for things to go wrong. Some people come to me after ignoring their body for 20 years. There’s just not a lot I can do at that point."

For more information:
American Chiropractic Association
Middle Age Patients Chart Their Own Course In Pursuit of Wellness
on Medpage Today
Chiropractic Products: Coming of Age

Dr. Dan Young received his bachelor of science degree in Premedical Studies at Davis and Elkins College and studied chiropractic at Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic. His practice, Ridge Chiropractic, is located in Sellersville, Pennsylvania.