Better health for all ages at North Georgia Chiropractic

A trend is emerging. More Americans are turning to preventive healthcare practices as an investment in living longer, healthier lives. In fact, people of all ages can benefit, especially seniors.

With all of the recent interest in preventive medicine, one area of healthcare that is often overlooked is chiropractic care. Chiropractors were once considered mostly to be alternative healthcare practitioners in years past but are now accepted largely as mainstream.

"Chiropractic healthcare has come a long way; simply put, it's because of the continued real-life results that are shared by many satisfied patients we see daily," said Dr. E. David Smith of North Georgia Chiropractic in Ringgold, Ga.

Numerous studies continue to be published supporting chiropractic healthcare as a proven method of treatment for many diseases and illnesses, pain relief and preventive healthcare.

Chiropractic care focuses largely on spinal alignment and reduction of subluxations. A subluxation is a spinal misalignment that results in nerve irritation or interference in the normal functioning pathway of the Central Nervous System. The CNS is responsible for maintaining proper development and functioning of all systems in the body. Misalignment can lead to problems with the CNS's ability to properly communicate with the body's various other systems.

"If you consider the body perhaps like a car, when it gets out of alignment a lot of bad things can happen over time," said Smith.

One group that especially benefits from chiropractic treatment is senior citizens. Smith said his office sees a large number of elderly patients for various reasons. Cases range from those that want to live longer, healthier lives to those that simply want to reduce or eliminate pain.

"Seniors often at first don't realize the benefits available to them through gentle chiropractic treatment, which is usually even covered at our office under medicare, said Smith.

Studies have shown that senior citizens including chiropractic care in their health regimen are much more likely to stay out of nursing homes. They are hospitalized considerably less often than those that do not. Other potential benefits include reduced severity of arthritis, better range of motion, decreased incidence of falling, increased balance and coordination, decreased joint degeneration and alleviation of pain. In some cases, pain can be completely eliminated.

Seniors are not the only group that stands to benefit. "We see a lot of ladies from all age roups and offer services that are perhaps tailored more for females, such as therapeutic massage," said Smith. "We probably have more women that are patients because we (men) don't think as proactively about our health and don't take care of ourselves quite the way our female counterparts do."

However, spinal adjustments are only one part of the expertise offered by the staff at North Georgia Chiropractic. Their doctors are extensively trained and board and state certified for spinal conditions. The group specializes in advanced treatments for certain back ailments.

North Georgia Chiropractic also offers Spinal Decompression. Spinal Decompression has been proven to be highly effective for certain spinal conditions such as bulging discs, Sciatica, Spinal Stenosis, Spondylolisthesis, numbness or tingling in the arms or legs and other similar problems.

It works by gently contracting the vertebrae, reducing pressure and promoting the body's own healing mechanisms.

"Spinal Decompression is a real life changer for so many people," said Smith. "It isn't always covered by insurance, which is a concern for some, but our office offers a very low-priced treatment program unlike many other practitioners in the area."

Another popular treatment offered at North Georgia Chiropractic is known as Cold Laser Therapy. This treatment has been in use for more than 40 years and has had more than 2,000 papers published on its efficacy. It can be very effective in treating knee and joint pain over time and is especially popular with both senior citizens and athletes alike. Seniors often experience knee and joint problems as they age. Athletes often damage those same areas of the body.

"We certainly see athletes with knee, elbow, and shoulder problems," Smith explained. Dr. Shaun Roach, another doctor at North Georgia Chiropractic, and Dr. Smith also focus on athletic injury and performance. Cold Laser therapy is often used during rehabilitation.

Unlike lasers in the traditional sense, the cold laser does not burn or scar. No pain is associated with its use. The Cold Laser uses ultraviolet light to target cells in the damaged joint area. This treatment has been shown to aid in damaged tissue regeneration, decreasing inflammation and boosting the immune system.

"We certainly see a lot of new patients that just want us to get them out of pain, but more and more people are realizing that we can help their bodies heal and maintain proper function naturally," said Smith. "That's, of course, versus their alternatives of taking risky chemicals found in many drugs on the market today and, of course, surgery."