Is It Possible that a Deteriorating Spine Causes Aging?

Maybe chiropractic is right.

Photo by Heather Jacoby on Unsplash

Many doctors fail to take care of themselves. Chiropractors are no different. In my case, I have tried to be vigilant. I have been under regular chiropractic care, regardless of my symptoms, for all but a few of my nearly seventy years. Yet, my spine is also showing signs of aging.

I am also having the problems of aging. My skin seems to bruise easier. My vision isn’t what it once was. My hearing has diminished. My blood pressure is higher. My urinary system and sexual function are not what they were. I have varicose veins in my legs.

For the last few years, I have been working to rehab my spine. The basic premise of chiropractic is that we are intelligent beings controlling our bodies using our nervous systems. Problems with the spine can affect the nervous system and we lose control. The result is loss of health. Notice disease is not something we get. Health is something we lose.

I ordered new x-rays of myself last spring. I have two discs in my neck and one in my lower back that are quite degenerated. I have been performing neck traction combined with blocking my neck and sacrum. The goal is to stretch and regenerate the discs. X-rays will prove whether or not that happens.

However, although I had no pain, I feel better. I can extend my neck much easier. I can turn my head easier. My vision has improved. My blood pressure is lower.

My posture has always been good. I believe it is even better. While walking my dogs today, I felt straight, tall and strong. That is not unusual for me but seemed especially enhanced.

My wife’s nephew was here for a visit. We went to a bakery. While I waited to bring our coffee, a man asked, “Are you brothers?” I explained the situation, but he seemed to find it difficult to comprehend. He actually looks more like me than my own children. It is not unusual for people to mistake me as a sibling rather than the father. Part of it is my posture.

Look at people who are doing well at advanced age. You will usually find people with good posture. I had a patient who was visiting his mother-in-law in a retirement center. She was playing cards with people over 90 years old. He asked each of them about their lives. He could not find anything in common. Some smoked. Some drank. Some exercised. It was a mystery. I asked about their posture. He said, “They are all straight as a die.” “There you go,” I said.

Get your posture checked. Work to improve it. You might find your health will be restored.