“My mother's back is hunching. Can a chiropractor help?”
My mother is 78 years old and her back is hunching. Can chiropractic treatment help this?
17 Answers
A chiropractor can do a thorough examination to determine the cause. Depending on my exam findings (if I were treating), I may recommend an x-ray examination and a DEXA scan before any hands-on treatments. I would want to rule out osteoporosis before any treatment.
Ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis or degenerative changes could be the factor. Therefore, mild to gentle chiropractic mobilization can improve ranges of motion and help with posture.
It will help with joint function and range of motion not with her posture. At 78 years old her spine has changed and osteoarthritis has developed and remodeled the joints. The degeneration cause by the osteoarthritis is irreversible. A thoracic posture brace will help to decrease the muscle spasm and will provide relief. The chiropractic adjustment at her age will be determined by a chiropractor during her exam, if is indicated or not, and if any chiropractic technique can be perform.
Sounds like osteoporosis. Consult a specialist.
Yes a chiropractor will make corrections and give recommendations to improve her posture.
Consult a chiropractor. They treat musculoskeletal disorders and this would be right up their alley.
Yes a Chiropractor can help, but X-rays are imperative to see if the hunching is due to osteoporosis and deterioration of the anterior portion of her vertebra, causing an anterior collapse of the vertebra, leading to a hunch. Manual manipulation would not be the best fit, but non-force techniques and being taught extension exercises will definitely help. Hope i helped. Got your back! Dr. Todd Gewant- Chiropractor
Probably over 40% of my patient population is 70 and older. With light force and no force chiropractic techniques, even those with osteoporosis and degenerative arthritis respond very well.
If the hunching is more than just bad posture then chiropractic cannot correct the damage that’s done, but could give some relief and possibly keep it from progressing any further !
It’s possible to aid her from a forward lean or hunch. It depends on how advanced her findings are, as to whether it is entirely reversible or not. Your chiropractor may need radiographs, bone density scans, and a thorough exam to determine if and how to best help with that.
It can help further deterioration
It depends on what her X-Rays look like
It is difficult to answer this question with a simple answer. There are numerous causes as to why this may be happening. Some are structure related while others may be strength related.
Hi,
Sorry to hear your mother is having problems. Hunching of the upper back and shoulders in the absence of a trauma is almost always due to poor posture and abnormal head forward carriage. This can result from chronic pain and pain avoidance behaviors, weak postural muscles, or bad habits. A chiropractor can analyze her posture and identify any abnormal motion segments of the spine and suggest posture correction exercises and appropriate adjustment to restore normal motion to the "stuck" or fixated segments. This will take active participation on her part maintaining a regular stretching and exercise program in addition to the chiropractic care recommended.
J.L.Harris, DC, DABCO
Sorry to hear your mother is having problems. Hunching of the upper back and shoulders in the absence of a trauma is almost always due to poor posture and abnormal head forward carriage. This can result from chronic pain and pain avoidance behaviors, weak postural muscles, or bad habits. A chiropractor can analyze her posture and identify any abnormal motion segments of the spine and suggest posture correction exercises and appropriate adjustment to restore normal motion to the "stuck" or fixated segments. This will take active participation on her part maintaining a regular stretching and exercise program in addition to the chiropractic care recommended.
J.L.Harris, DC, DABCO
It is quite possible that at the age of 78, your mother may have osteoporosis, which is where the body robs bones of their calcium in order to allow muscles to move and work properly. Which could also have something to do with her ability to properly metabolize calcium as a nutrient (normally found in green leafy vegetables, like kale, spinach, broccoli, etc.). With osteoporosis, (also known as brittle bone disease) it is possible to get what is known as pathological collapse fractures, which is where the body of the vertebra (the building block part) literally crumbles. Not trying to scare you, but if that is the cause of your mother's back "hunching," then no chiropractic can help her so far as helping her back to stop having (the technical term is a hyperkyphotic thoracic curve), however, chiropractic care should help your mother with having a better quality of life.
Hunching is related to abnormal posture, related to the cervical and thoracic regions. Yes, regular chiropractic care will improve her nervous system input directly affecting her postural muscles to fire more frequently improving her posture and health.
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