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Manahawkin Cervical Spine Motion, Osteophytes, and Agings Effect

Aging gets blamed for a lot of ills…including limited neck movements. You are not alone if you realize that you do not rotate your head quite as easily or as far as you once did or that you don’t flex or extend it like you once could. Degenerative discs and vertebrae and companion osteophytes play a role in limiting movement. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center is ready to help your neck movements with gentle chiropractic treatment!

CERVICAL SPINE MOTION

Physiological motion of the spine has a nice ring to it, does it not? It does! In the cervical spine, researchers have described how a consistent sequence of cervical segmental contributions work when the neck moves. This sequence is typical in 80-90% of young healthy persons. But what about the motions in aging spines of older folks? Decreased movement has been linked to aging. A recent study by some inquisitive researchers designed a study to see if such consistent neck motions in asymptomatic young people were the same in elderly asymptomatic persons. They didn’t. They concluded that aging - as demonstrated by the motion patterns seen in elderly asymptomatic persons - was associated with loss of consistent motion patterns that were seen in young asymptomatic persons. For example, the consistent pattern in young asymptomatic persons was found in only 10% of the older persons at T1 and 0% at T2. (1) As our Manahawkin chiropractic friends and family age along with us, we’re not alone in noting motion changes. Manahawkin Chiropractic Center delivers gentle Cox® Technic treatment in order to bring as much motion to spinal segments as they’ll allow. If you notice limitations in your neck motions, let us know! We can examine you to find the usual culprits that may be the cause.

WHAT COMES WITH AGING THAT LIMITS NECK MOTION: Osteophytes

Osteophytes are frequently seen in vertebral bones of the cervical and lumbar spines of elderly folks. Anterior osteophytes keep growing and eventually bring about neck pain or back pain. Since osteophytes are so usual and result in such pain, researchers found a way to predict the mean time to onset of pain and the path of degeneration that happens in these vertebrae based on information from following patients’ osteophytes for 9 years. (2) We know our Manahawkin chiropractic patients with osteophytes are not as curious as to how long ago their osteophytes started, but rather how our chiropractic care can help! Here’s an interesting case concerning osteophytes and relieving chiropractic care: Osteophytes may contribute to patients’ developing dysphagia (aka difficulty with swallowing).  A case report presented a 53-year-old woman with a sore throat, difficulty swallowing solid foods, and acid reflux. Her imaging showed anterior osteophytes as well as kyphosis (abnormal curvature) of her cervical spine and thoracolumbar scoliosis, any of which could impact her dysphagia. Six months of chiropractic care resolved her issues. (3) Chiropractic care works!

CONTACT Manahawkin Chiropractic Center

Listen to the PODCAST with Dr. Shay Corbin on the Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he shares the effective, gentle treatment with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for his musician patient experiencing neck and back pain.       

Make your next Manahawkin chiropractic appointment with Manahawkin Chiropractic Center. Bring your aging spine, your less-than-flexible cervical spine, your immobile neck to our clinic. We can work toward improved motion!

 
Manahawkin cervical spine and neck motion in older person 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."