As you get older, you may discover that you're exchanging one set of challenges for another. Instead of worrying about parenting or work-related issues, for instance, you may find yourself struggling with chronic aches, pains, and systemic health conditions. Before you consign yourself to a life of limited mobility or heavy painkillers, however, you should know that chiropractic care works just as well for seniors as it does for any other segment of the population. Here are three ways that your chiropractor can help you make the most of your "golden years."

1. Effective Management of Chronic Pain Conditions

The human body experiences a great deal of wear and tear over the decades, especially the joints. The typical result for many older Americans is an irreversible condition called osteoarthritis. The cartilage between the bones breaks down, allowing for more and more friction and inflammation within the joint. A painful, stiff joint can affect your stance and gait, leading to other muscular strain and other chronic aches and pains. Chiropractic adjustments can compensate somewhat for the changes in your joint structure, permitting wider, more comfortable range of motion. Your chiropractor may adjust both your extremity joints and your spinal joints for optimal results.

2. A Higher Degree of Systemic Health and Wellness

As the human body loses some of its efficiency due to the aging process, it becomes more vulnerable to systemic imbalances that affect overall health and wellness. That's one reason that seniors have elevated risks for cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and poor disease resistance. Chiropractic care can reduce these issues by correcting problems that impact your nerve function. Even if it doesn't cause pain, a musculoskeletal misalignment can compress major nerves, spoiling their ability to relay information between your brain and your various physical systems. Chiropractic adjustments to remove this nerve compression can improve every aspect of your baseline health and wellness in some surprising ways, from more satisfying sleep to better coordination. In fact, the very first chiropractic adjustment ever performed cleared up a patient's hearing problem!

3. Less Reliance on Drugs

Today's medical world seems to emphasize pharmaceuticals to a disturbing degree, with over 74 percent of doctors' appointments involving the use of drugs. It's not surprising, then, that many seniors find themselves taking an ever-lengthening list of medications to deal with their conditions and symptoms. Some of these drugs may pose an addiction risk, while others can cause worrying side effects or interact dangerously with other drugs. By making use of chiropractic care to address at least some of your problems, you may be able to limit the number of medications you need to take on a regular basis.

Getting older doesn't have to mean getting sicker or less mobile. Contact a chiropractor in your area.