Something I hear very often in my office from patients is the statement, “I’m getting old.” When people say this, it is in relation to the fact that are injured or having pain and it either came out of nowhere or it started after a very simple movement or activity. When people tell me they are getting old, I call them out on it. “You may be getting older, but you are not getting old” is typically my response.

Young people get injuries too you know? Fine-tuned high level athletes get injured. Everyone gets injured or has pain at some point, so it really has nothing to do with age. But, since we are talking about getting old, let’s discuss how one starts to get old as opposed to getting older.

Aging

Many people think that as they get older, they will stiffen up, have poor posture, lose muscle strength and carry a lot of stress and tension in their body. From what I see in my practice on a regular basis it is actually the opposite scenario. When people start to stiffen up, lose muscle mass, have poor posture and carry tension is when they start to get old.

This is a mindset shift. Thinking of aging in this way should change how you take care of your body now! By being proactive and maintaining health for as long as possible then you can delay the aging process. The best way to do this is to take care of your spine. A rotting and decaying spine not only affects how you look and move, but it also leads to a decaying body. Get your spine checked by a chiropractor and stay as young as possible for as long as possible! It may be the fountain of youth that everyone has been searching for =)

Yours in Health,

Dr. Bourdage