QuestionQUESTION: I understand that ligaments and tendons lose elasticity as part of the aging process, and that the loss is related to diminished water content in those tissues. Questions: 1. Is there a restorative and/or therapeutic effect associated with proper hydration? 2. Will proper hydration combined with flexibility training in the elderly result in better range of motion than flexibility training alone? Thank you.
ANSWER: Hello Barry,
Thank you for your question.
Yes, as we age, as we accumulate insult, injury, trauma and years, we lose flexibility and elasticity. Some loss is unavoidable. Some loss is preventable. Proper lifestyle slows aging. Look at Jack LaLanne ( a Doctor of Chiropractic who trained in the 1930's - - - who made a better living as a FITNESS GURU), 95 years old and still jumping around selling juicers on television. Jack LaLanne got there by DESIGN, NOT BY LUCK.
Jack LaLanne OBVIOUSLY never smoked, drank, did drugs. Jack LaLanne DID eat right, drink pure water, eat organic, exercise, saw the chiropractor,--- did the things that build a HEALTHY body. At 95 does he have the body and health of a 25 year old?,?, no. BUT he is still here, still jumping around selling juicers.
So, on to your question.
Is there a restorative and/or therapeutic effect to proper hydration?
Of course. Yes.
Will proper hydration combined with flexibility training result in better ROM than flexibility training alone?
Yes. Of course.
Health is multifaceted. We probably do not have enough time every day, or money, or even motivation to do EVERYTHING we can for our health. Heck---- some people do not even do -anything- for their health---, but health is a combination of things.
We should control the things we can for improved health,,, and NOT worry about the things we cannot control. We should eat right, take supplements, exercise, work on flexibility.
I am unaware of any specific study on elderly/flexibility/hydration; but all of my above comments are 'common sense' to someone trained in the health filed. I AM aware of many studies that show- REGARDLESS OF AGE- exercise increases strenth and health (even in the elderly).
You sound as if someone important to you is skeptical of training, of working for improved flexibility, of drinking adequate amounts of fluids,,,, an important consideration: before MAKING CHANGES- get a proper evaluation by a doctor, get an expert in nutrition/ exercise/ flexibility to 'coach' you from the start.
Along with proper hydration- nutritional support for bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles would be appropriate. Glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM for joints, Omega 3 essential fatty acids for joints and to fight inflammation, Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D for bones, protein for muscles. A proper diet for proper intake is important to support any training someone will be attempting.
I hope this helps.
Watch for Jack LaLanne on TV,,,,
hey,
maybe we should ALL buy his juicer,,,,,,
he can't be that off base.
He got there,
most people do not!
Wishing you Good Luck and Good Health Naturally, your Staten Island Chiropractor friend signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (email newsletter)
http://www.DocDolan.net
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Thanks for the response. I'm a personal trainer and plan to focus more on training older adults. I have not found any specific information in the literature I've seen pertaining specifically to restoring water content to soft tissue via hydration. Of course I preach hydration to everyone I train, but I would like to know if there really is a cause-and-effect relationship between drinking adequate amounts of water and ligament/tendon/collagen health. Thanks again for your response.
AnswerHello Barry,
I do not think you are asking a followup question, but thank you for a response and continuing the conversation.
As a trainer you are aware that the geriatric population does benefit from exercise and training. There seems to be no AGE limit as to when exercise ceases to be beneficial. Strength gains are well documented in the older population. Strength and muscular hypertrophy DO take place.
You question is interesting, and I will try to be aware of any research on this topic that comes up.
Thinking about it though,
as a trainer- you are aware of the S.A.I.D. principle- Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands; just as muscles grow larger in response to stress; so too are bones thickened and strengthened by resistance training; so too is new cartilage laid down in joints when appropriate stress is placed upon the joints,,,, can it be so hard to jump to tendons and ligaments RESPONDING to appropriate stress with improved function AND improved cellular and tissue level structure? - increased hydration ??????
Appropriate input (nutrition, hydration, diet) with appropriate demands upon the system (exercise, stretching, ROM, flexibility) will result in global body response, organ response, tissue response, and cellular response. The word "appropriate" is significant; we can certainly overwhelm a body, a tissue, a cell by increasing demands too quickly; BUT appropriate demands, appropriate increasing demands, lead to tissue response. Ultimately, finally, an individual may hit a plateau which cannot be passed, and maintenance of the gains will become the goal. But,,,, as a species, as in 'humankind'- it does not seem we have hit the FINAL plateau--- young athletes are constantly setting new world records for speed, and strength (flexibility?) .
Again, I cannot point to a specific study that answers your specific question. We can point to studies as to muscle and strength and ROM gains in the geriatric population, we can show improved joint or global ROM and flexibility,,,, as to the tendon or ligament tissue showing improvement, I am not aware of that study.
My Staten Island Chiropractic office sees a lot of sport injury patients. I am a team doctor for the current NYC PSAL High School Football Champions, and this year we are currently undefeated. Since the midpoint of 2005, I think our record is something like 36-1 ( we ONLY lost in the championship game in 2006 (12-1), we were 13-0 last year). Your question piques my sports doctor interest.
From a selfish standpoint- here is some information from a study done upon Chiropractic's effect upon athletic performance:
Athletic Performance Improvement, Accelerated Recovery
Chiropractic is well known to improve athletic performance, prevent sport injury, and accelerate recovery from injury or hard training. With Doctors of Chiropractic serving on almost every nation抯 Olympic Team, with Chiropractic holding official status with the USOC and serving almost every US Olympic Athlete: the results of chiropractic cannot be denied. Coaches and athletes are aware of terms such as
enhanced performance,
performance improvement, .
accelerated recovery,
restoration and regeneration.
Many coaching conferences discuss strategies on these aspects of exercise, competition, sports and athleticism.
An interesting study was performed and published way back in 1991. The January 1991 issue of the Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation published findings that demonstrate significant increases in athletic performance after a twelve week program of Chiropractic treatment.
Athletic Ability Research:
Male and female athletes between the ages of 18 and 42, representing a variety of sports backgrounds, were recruited to participate in this study. None had ever before been under chiropractic care. Each of these participants underwent eleven separate tests, each test designed to measure a specific aspect of athletic performance. Then, half the participants were evaluated through chiropractic analysis and placed on a twelve week program of chiropractic treatment ( consistent regimen of chiropractic, similar to a consistent regimen of physical athletic training/ exercise ). ( measured aspects: side step test, dodging run, right boomerang run, modified bass tests of dynamic balance, vertical power jump, standing broad jump, distance perception jump, horizontal linear space test, nelson hand reaction test, nelson speed of movement test, nelson choice of response-movement test )
All subjects continued to train and practice as usual in their sports. At the half-way point of six weeks, they were all reevaluated and changes in scores for each group were compared. All increases in performances by each group were measured by the average percent of change in all eleven tests combined.
The control group, those not receiving chiropractic care, showed slight improvement in eight of eleven tests ( this group had been training 慳s usual?for the time period ). By combining the average percentages of change on each test it was found that the control group showed an overall improvement of 4.5%.
Those receiving chiropractic treatment (along with their 憉sual training?, the test group, had dramatically different results. They showed improvement on all eleven tests for a total 10.7% average increase after six weeks. And when retested again after the second six week period of care this test group demonstrated a remarkable 16.7% average increase in athletic ability.
( consider that one/ onehundredth of a second ( 1/100th ) is the difference between win ?lose,,, 16.7% is HUGE )
What Do Chiropractors Do?
Chiropractors analyze the structure of the body, looking for misalignments, primarily in the spine, and also the extremities. Spinal misalignments, termed vertebral subluxations, irritate the nerves which in turn inhibits the body抯 ability to function optimally. Like a high performance automobile, the human structure must be balanced and in alignment to be at it抯 best. A Ferrari with pistons that don抰 fire in sequence, wheels that are out of balance or alignment, and high performance specifications that are improperly set will not only have it抯 performance compromised but will also have dramatically increased potential for parts to wear out and breakdown. The human body, far more delicate and complicated than even the most advanced automobile is similar. If the framework, particularly the spine, isn抰 properly aligned and balanced- the body cannot perform to it抯 potential and is more susceptible to illness and injury, with slower recovery when injury does occur.
What Do Vertebral Subluxations Do?
Vertebral subluxations cause nerve conduction interference. This inhibits millions of messages from the brain from flowing smoothly along the nerves and in this in turn interferes with the coordination of the actions of the body. The only health care provider trained to diagnose and correct vertebral subluxations is the Doctor of Chiropractic. Like a properly tuned Ferrari, the chiropractic patient athlete, when properly aligned, functions at a level of peak performance.
Famous Athletes Utilize Chiropractics.
Many athletes have discovered the relationship between proper spinal alignment and their own level of achievement. San Francisco Forty-Niner Greats Joe Montana and Roger Craig as well as heavy weight champion Evander Holyfield are examples of professional and world-class athletes who realize(d) the value of proper structural alignment and balance in their bodies. They have learned through their own experiences what research has shown; that through chiropractic care - one can demonstrate faster reaction time, better balance, improved coordination, increased muscular power; and when injured- accelerated recovery and regeneration.
The Competitive Edge.
Emphasis on athletic excellence continues to escalate in this country in terms of both dollars and extremes in personal sacrifice. Though the dangers of taking anabolic steroids have been widely publicized for years, the number of athletes who suffer serious health problems caused steroids continues to grow. Now, however, the athlete looking for the competitive edge need not look beyond the framework of his(her) own body. Increased public awareness is leading many to realize that a natural method is available in achieving performance enhancement. The method is Chiropractic!
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
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and another study:
Chiropractic + Exercise = LBP Relief
Numerous studies have long praised chiropractic care in the treatment of low back pain (LBP); however, 11 national guidelines still recommend the "stay-active," or exercise, approach to treating LBP.
A 10-week study investigated the relative benefit of manipulative therapy and stay-active care vs. stay-active care alone in 160 patients with LBP of three months or less duration. The authors defined "stay-active" as an approach to patient care whereby patients are encouraged to take part in physical and other activities to stay fit.
Results showed that manipulation combined with stay-active care "improved pain measured as pain during the last week and everyday function in acute and subacute cases of low back pain better than stay active treatment only." Moreover, at five and 10 weeks, patients in the experimental group had less pain and lower disability rating indices than members of the reference group.
In addition to treating LBP, regular chiropractic care has a host of other benefits, including pain and stress relief, while regular exercise is necessary for maintaining total health and wellness. Imagine what the two combined can do for you! Make an appointment with your doctor of chiropractic today. And for more information on various research studies, visit www.chiropracticresearchreview.com .
Grunnesjo MI, Bogefeldt JP, Svardsudd KF, Blomberg SIE.
A randomized controlled clinical trial of stay-active care versus manual therapy in addition to stay-active care: functional variables and pain.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics September 2004;27(7):431-41. www.mosby.com/jmpt
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My Staten Island sports medicine practice (using 'medicine' as a generic term- I treat through Chiropractic, adjunctive physiotherapy, nutrition, exercise, kinesio taping), sees athletes young and old, professional and amateur. Some of my geriatrics are still athletes- golf, tennis, and believe it or not 50 and 60 year old BASKETball players !!
The S.A.I.D. principle works for all ages. Keep up the good work. I hope I did not talk too much, but it is your fault- you raise an interesting question.
I wish you good luck, continued success, and Good Health Naturally, your Staten Island Chiropractor friend signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan
Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN)
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com (email newsletter)
http://www.DocDolan.net
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
