Chiropractic Care for the Aging Population in the United Kingdom

A paper published in the April 2012 issue of Frontiers in Physiology from the United Kingdom, looked at chiropractic care for the growing elderly population in the UK. The paper titled, "Chiropractic Treatment as a Primary Care Intervention for Better Musculoskeletal Health in the Aging Population in the United Kingdom", reviewed many areas where chiropractic can help the aging population.

The paper, written at the McTimoney College of Chiropractic, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK, by chiropractic doctors Adrian Hunnisett and Christina Cunliffe, starts off by noting, "Many countries, including the UK, find themselves with an increasingly aging population." They continue, "The number of people in the UK aged over 75 is set to double over the next 25 years."

The authors of the paper point out that aging is commonly associated with an increased incidence of developing a wide variety of conditions, the most prevalent being the decline in musculoskeletal function and mobility. The authors comment, "In order to maintain a state of independent living, it is vitally important for the individual to be able to maintain general function for as long as possible. This has a significant effect on perceived quality of life, particularly in the much older age groups."

The chiropractic approach to helping the elderly offers a unique service. Drs. Hunnisett and Cunliffe state, "The aim of chiropractic care in the elderly population is to restore function where possible and to arrest, or at least slow down, the degenerative processes that occur with aging." They go on to explain this unique approach by saying, "Chiropractic is an holistic intervention with chiropractic adjustments as the core concept of the treatment. It focuses on relationships between structure and function of the musculoskeletal and nervous systems and how these preserve and restore health."

In the conclusion of their paper, the authors review the overall future of chiropractic in the UK noting that increased awareness by other health practitioners about chiropractic will play a vital role in the public receiving the chiropractic care they need. The authors conclude, "Chiropractors are themselves well positioned to play a pivotal role in the health promotion, disease intervention, and geriatric care strands of primary healthcare. Chiropractic services are safe, health-effective, and cost–effective and enjoy high patient satisfaction."

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