Grab bars are a common fixture in accessible bathrooms to help people with disabilities grab and use the bar to pull themselves up from a chair in the shower or off the toilet. For some people, as they age, even using the grab bar becomes challenging. The reasons behind this can surprise you, as a loss of lower-body leverage, core strength, muscle wasting, and balance all contribute to upper-body weakness. The loss of leverage in the upper body results in difficulty using a grab bar. Warning signs of lower-body and core dysfunction Difficulty getting out of a chair or the need to use an assistive chair to help us get out of one. Problems with balance. Lower or upper back problems. Shoulder pain Knee pain. Elbow or hand pain. loss of fine motor skills in the hands. Different reasons for different people based on genetics, body mechanics, history, and overall health. There are many reasons we develop lower back, hip, pelvis, and foot problems. Holistically, the lower body affects upper body function. As written previously in this blog, the idea of reciprocal twins draws on the fact that the fascial system, which was misunderstood for years, controls how we move and function, combined with the musculature. It has its own nervous and circulatory system, and without proper symmetry and lower body function, you are likely to develop problems in the hips first, and then the upper body, shoulders, and neck. We have no shortage of doctors trained to look at your symptoms and apply limited specialty knowledge to reduce pain using injections, medications, and surgery when the damage is bad enough. The problem is, the body is holistic, and to fully understand the mechanics behind why you hurt, you must evaluate the body holistically as well, understand how it functions, get a complete history of the problem, and be able to perform a functional exam. This is why a primary care approach to the musculoskeletal system is mandatory when problems begin to occur. Often, these problems begin when we are younger, and often, their knee, foot, and hip problems are attributed to growing pains, and medication to reduce the pain can be prescribed to alleviate the symptoms in the absence of a proper diagnosis. Years later, these patients may have chronic back problems, may be referred for testing, and may be offered surgical options that again treat problems due to years of symptoms that were poorly diagnosed. The result is long-term joint damage, poor core and fascial system function as we age, and as we move less, we lose muscle mass. Getting out of a chair or using a grab bar to help becomes a necessity. Eventually, the poor muscle tone and poor core function make even using a grab bar difficult, when we begin to lose function in the shoulders, hands, and arms, and tactile abilities in the fingers. Why see a chiropractic sports physician first? A chiropractic sports physician, on the other hand, is holistic in how they evaluate and treat problems. They are the holistic primary care provider for the musculoskeletal system. They take a deep history and look at all your symptoms to understand why you are in pain. Rather than looking at a young person who has shin or knee pain as growing pains, we can recognize these malfunctions early on and correct them using chiropractic methods such as manipulation, myofascial release, exercises, and off-the-shelf foot orthotics to help them feel and function better. Years later, they are reducing the risk of other problems in the lower body, hip problems, knee problems, and upper body problems. The good news is that a proper exam is often more effective than running tests in the absence of a proper evaluation. This is where chiropractors excel diagnostically for painful problems secondary to mechanical dysfunction of the body. Older adults can be helped as well into their 80’s and 90’s by improving how their core works. Patients in their 70’s who have problems due to gait can improve using gait retraining methods, which reduce the risk of falls, which can be devastating to the elderly. The benefits of doing this are improved upper body function, improved upper body strength, and ultimately, healthier joints and less reliance on pain medications, which do nothing to improve function. Often, as someone’s body breaks down due to less movement and poorer function, the continued reliance on medication is purely for pain control, since the damage has already been done. Improving overall function in the elderly reduces the reliance on grab bars since getting out of a chair is easier because of improved core function, and less muscle wasting as we move more. Better lower-body function reduces the need for a grab bar. Seeing a chiropractic sports physician for the musculoskeletal system should be your first choice. Understanding and improving function reduces pain both now and years later. Improved core function reduces upper body problems, which makes using a grab bar, if needed, more effective. For ourselves and our bodies, better care of the musculoskeletal system in our younger years and less reliance on medication for pain in the absence of appropriate care for the human frame is why so many of the elderly have balance problems that are worsened by many of the medications they are on. Rather than having a maze of doctors for your symptoms, a chiropractic sports physician is often your one-stop shop for better function and a longer active lifespan. Having back or shoulder issues now, perhaps seeing a chiropractor is your best first option. If you do require medical attention, they will refer you to someone who can help. Waiting for your doctor to refer you to a chiropractor is often frustrating because chiropractic is the safest and simplist options most doctors may not offer first. It’s your body and your responsibility. For musculoskeletal problems, think chiropractic first. For painful joints, think chiropractic first. Need help today? Book online or call either of our offices today.