Services
Chiropractic for older patients
Reviewed by Dr Voula Roumel, Chiropractor , registered since 1987, AHPRA CHI0000942872
Last updated
Chiropractic care for older patients is the same profession applied with different judgement. Bone density, medication, surgical history and how irritable a joint is all change what is appropriate, and they change it before the first hands are laid on.
That is why the history matters more here than in almost any other presentation.
What the chiropractor needs to know first
Tell reception when you book, and the chiropractor before the assessment:
- Osteoporosis or low bone density, and bring results if you have them
- Any fractures, and when
- Joint replacements, which joint, when, and what your surgeon advised
- Recent surgery of any kind
- Blood thinners and other medication
- Inflammatory arthritis, if diagnosed
- Falls, and any difficulty with balance
None of these rules out care. All of them change what is done, which is exactly why the chiropractor needs them up front rather than discovering them later.
What changes with age
- Joints lose some range, and the movement that remains matters more
- Muscle mass and strength decline without loading, which affects both function and balance
- Bone density changes the force that is appropriate
- Recovery takes longer, and treatment is paced accordingly
- Balance and confidence become part of the clinical picture rather than separate from it
What treatment involves
- Lower-force technique, which for many older patients is the appropriate choice from the outset. See spinal adjustments for what that means in practice
- Massage therapy for the muscular loading around stiff joints
- Rehabilitation exercises, strength and balance work, which is the part that changes function over time and matters more with age rather than less
- Practical advice on load, movement and the household adjustments that reduce fall risk
What it does not do
Osteoarthritic change is managed rather than reversed, and nobody here will suggest otherwise. What can be addressed is the movement and muscular loading around affected joints, which is frequently where the day-to-day difficulty actually sits.
Where balance difficulty has a cause outside musculoskeletal scope, medication effects, an inner ear problem, a neurological condition, you will be told and referred, with a detailed letter setting out the findings and recommendations.
Getting here
The clinic is at street level on Melville Road, on the route 58 tram at stop 35. There is street parking directly out front, and the opposite side of Melville Road is unrestricted at any hour. If you have a question about access, call before you book and reception will talk you through what to expect.
Frequently asked questions
Is chiropractic safe if I have osteoporosis?
Usually yes, with lower-force technique chosen for it, but the chiropractor needs to know before your first appointment, because it changes the approach materially. Bring your bone density results if you have them. The same applies to a history of fracture, recent surgery, inflammatory arthritis, or if you take blood thinners.
Will I be cracked?
Not necessarily, and often not. High-velocity adjusting is one technique among several, and for many older patients a lower-force approach is the appropriate choice from the start. What is used is decided at the assessment from your history and your presentation, and you will be told what is about to happen before it happens.
I have arthritis. Is there any point?
Osteoarthritic change is managed rather than reversed, and nobody here will suggest otherwise. What can be worked on is the movement and muscular loading around affected joints, which is a different thing from the joint changes themselves and is often where the day-to-day difficulty actually sits.
What if I have had a joint replacement?
Tell the chiropractor which joint, when, and what your surgeon advised. Replacements are common and rarely a barrier, but they change what is appropriate around that joint and the timeframe since surgery matters. Recent surgery of any kind needs mentioning before the assessment.
Can chiropractic help with balance?
Where balance difficulty has a musculoskeletal component, restriction, weakness, or reduced ankle and hip movement. That component can be worked on, and Dr Kenneth Taylor has postgraduate training in functional neurology relevant to balance presentations. Where the cause is something else, including medication effects or an inner ear problem, you will be told and referred rather than treated around it.
Ready to book?
Appointments Monday to Saturday, with confirmation by SMS.