Why we should take the loss of muscle mass seriously

At some point in our thirties, we begin to lose muscle mass slowly but steadily. This process begins to accelerate as we reach seniority, between the ages of 65 and 75. Along the way, the rate of loss is affected by how active you are: in the beginning, muscle loss may be negligible for active people; for non-active people it can be as much as 3-5% each year. Losing muscle poses a threat to your well-being in the following ways: 

• Contributes to frailty
• Makes us less able
• Increases vulnerability to injury
• Reduces our activity levels

Sarcopenia’s effect on the spine

Chiropractors take sarcopenia seriously because the spine is also degrading with age. As vertebral structures become weaker, their greatest allies are the muscles of the core. Muscle loss in the core makes our lower back less stable and more vulnerable to subluxation and other serious spinal injuries including:

• Herniated discs
• Vertebral stress fractures
• Degenerative disc disease
• Spinal instability

Our job is to preserve muscle mass by keeping you mobile. We want to keep your body in conducive shape for exercise; this way you are able to focus on maintaining muscle mass despite sarcopenia. 

Fighting back against sarcopenia starts today

At OFW Chiropractic, our primary goal is to keep you upright and able as you move forward in life. At our office in Westwood, we utilize the following modalities to mitigate pain and keep you moving, so that you can focus on preserving your muscle mass through exercise:

• Spinal adjustment to alleviate nerve compression and improve range of motion
• Targeted strengthening and stretching of the core stabilizing muscles
• Deep tissue therapy to improve circulation in tender parts of the back
• Improving biomechanics- helping you move more efficiently

Give our office in Westwood a call to find out about our range of modalities for keeping you mobile and pain free. Sarcopenia does not have to define your life as a senior; take steps today to combat the muscle loss that is a natural part of aging.