There simply is nothing that can be done about aging. No matter how hard you try, you can’t stop the clock. What you can do is have an impact on how you age. There are those that choose to do nothing to work on their health and well-being. The older years are somewhat a toss of the dice as to how they are going to end up both physically and mentally. The other option is taking care of yourself. Those senior citizen birthdays can be just as good as the ones that took place in the decades past.

Along with exercising, eating well, and avoiding the toxic stuff, there is the possibility of reducing the likelihood of suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia by seeing a chiropractor on a regularly.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Definition

What exactly are Alzheimer’s disease and dementia? Dementia is a decline in mental functioning that impacts a person’s daily life. One symptom is memory loss. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the leading reason people lose their memories as they age. It isn’t necessarily a “normal” part of aging, but it is extremely common in the elderly population.

If nobody in your family or close to you has ever been affected by Alzheimer’s disease, you might not be all that aware of how prevalent it is. Here are a few quick facts that The University of Washington gathered up on AD:

  • In the United States, 4 million people are suffering with AD
  • 10% of people over 65 have AD
  • 50% of people over 85 have AD
  • It’s the fourth leading cause of death in adults
  • Early-onset AD can happen in 40s and 50s with an inherited gene
  • Men and women are affected relatively equally

These are some pretty striking statistics. As someone who cares about their aging mind health and overall wellness, you’re going to want to do what you can to prevent it from happening to you. If it can’t be stopped, at least slow it down and reduce the side effects. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s important to do what you can to stay out of the group of one in three that get the diagnosis.

Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Brain Function

The job of a chiropractor is to take care of the spinal cord. Essentially, the spine is the motherboard of your entire body. Dr. Roger Sperry, a Nobel Prize Winner, stated that “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by the movement of the spine.”

With an unhealthy spine alignment or poor posture, overall health is going to decline right along with it. Chiropractors are trained in checking and making adjustments to keep the central nervous system and brain functioning properly. There is more to seeing a chiropractor than just dealing with back pain.

In 2016, there was a study done that was later published in a medical journal about how one adjustment done at a chiropractor’s office improved brain function significantly. The prefrontal cortex was most affected which is in control of things like:

  • Memory
  • Attention
  • Focus
  • Response to stimuli
  • Initiation of activity

The alignment that is done happens in the spine, but the rest of the body reacts to what a chiropractor can do. Going with the theory of having a healthy spine, you’re more likely to have a healthy brain and healthy brain functioning. A chiropractor is the one that will take care of keeping your spine healthy with regular visits, and therefore decrease the risk for things like dementia.

Alzheimer’s Treatment with Chiropractic Care

A study that was completed presented the idea that those suffering from AD and dementia have an “impaired cerebral energy metabolism.” What that means is that the brain isn’t getting as much glucose and oxygen in a participant without an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

One way to improve the circulation of these two things to the brain is through chiropractic adjustments. A qualified chiropractor can use techniques to increase the signaling from the spine to the brain and back. With the pressure released, it only makes sense that oxygen and glucose are going to flow through that cervical area more easily.

The formation of proteins that are what are believed to be blocking that area wouldn’t happen, or at least not as quickly. Those things combined give evidence that in older patients, regular chiropractic adjustments improve brain function for the prevention and development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fight or Flight and Alzheimer’s and Dementia

When your body is under stress for long periods of time, which happens naturally in life, your body is going to go into a fight or flight response. Your heart rate increases, your muscles tighten up, your digestion slows down, and you start breathing in a shallowly. Each of these situations reduces the amount of oxygen that gets to the brain. Reduction in oxygen equals the killing off of brain cells. The killing off of brain cells can turn into Alzheimer’s disease. Chiropractors are trained in treating the nervous system, resetting your body, reducing the stress, and increasing the flow of oxygen to the brain again. Thus, another reason why you should see one a regular basis to prevent dementia.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s Treatment Natural Remedies

With there being no Alzheimer’s cure, it’s important to be aware of all the natural remedies besides regular chiropractic care to help with Alzheimer’s symptoms. Of course, you should always discuss any form of treatment with  medical professional before starting a regime. Take a look first at a basic overview of some of the Alzheimer’s treatment natural remedies that could be implemented:

  • Mediterranean diet
  • Cardio exercise
  • Coconut oil
  • Mefenamic acid (a PMS drug that reduces brain inflammation)
  • Working in specific jobs closely with other people that are complex
  • Marijuana (said to ease cellular inflammation and remove toxic proteins)
  • Staying away sleep and allergy medication linked to dementia
  • Improving gut health
  • A personalized treatment
  • Essential oils that support brain function (frankincense oil and rosemary oil)

Not all of these treatments are going to work for everyone’s lifestyle, but some of them like dieting and exercise are things that can generally be started at any age.

 

About Dr. Brent Wells

Dr. Brent Wells is a graduate of the University of Nevada where he earned his bachelor’s of science degree before moving on to complete his doctorate from Western States Chiropractic College. He founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in Alaska in 1998.