Course Summary

Just as chiropractic care is appropriate for adults, children, and even newborn infants, older adults can also benefit from some of the outcomes of chiropractic care. As a person ages, he or she often encounters more health problems and may have reduced energy to carry out routine activities. Aging impacts all areas of the body, including the musculoskeletal system. Reductions in coordination, balance and ranges of motion may result in a sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, older adults may be more likely to develop fatigue with activity, and may experience pain as a result of chronic illnesses that affect the musculoskeletal system, such as osteoporosis or arthritis. By focusing on the unique changes that occur with aging, a chiropractor may utilize holistic approaches to improve overall physical functioning, balance and coordination. The physical strength and coordination of older adults can be improved with recommended treatment. The interventions and current research supporting chiropractic care in older adults is discussed in the following sections. Health clinicians need to understand chiropractic guidelines and methods to treat older adults, especially given the increasing numbers of those seeking chiropractic care.

Course Format

Homestudy

Course Syllabus

• Introduction
• Chiropractic Care for Older Adults
  • Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Treatments
  • Epidemiology
  • Goals of Chiropractic Treatments
• Pain Reduction
• Neck Pain
• Lower Back Pain
• Extremity Pain
• Muscle Flexibility and Aging
• Fall Prevention
• Enhanced Wellness and Wellbeing
• Summary

Author

Marilyn Lajoie, MD, DC, CCSP

Dr. Marilyn Lajoie obtained her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine in 1999, Her residency began with one year of Anatomical and Surgical Pathology at Orlando Regional Medical Center, before transferring within the same post-graduate residency program to Internal Medicine. Upon completion of residency, she went into private practice in Orlando, where she specialized in Internal Medicine, Sports Medicine and Rehab, as well as acute and chronic pain management. Before becoming a medical doctor, she had practiced as a Chiropractic Physician, graduating from New York Chiropractic College in 1980, practicing initially on Long Island, N.Y., before moving to Florida where she had a successful chiropractic practice and physical rehabilitation center, and gained recognition as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. Dr. Lajoie was also the Director of Physical Therapy at Horizon Hospital, a residential and outpatient psychiatric hospital, and later, continued in the same capacity at Horizon’s sister psychiatric hospital in Brooksville, Florida. Dr. Lajoie maintained her chiropractic license and continued to practice both Internal Medicine and Chiropractic throughout private practice, until moving to the Veterans Healthcare System in 2014. Continuing in both fields, she became the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Montana VA, where she completed her service in 2021. Dr. Lajoie now works predominantly in telemedicine, and in an Expert Witness capacity for both medical and chiropractic cases. Still living in Montana, she enjoys being able to treat not only the rural areas of the state through this technology, but also patients across the US where she maintains multiple active state licenses. She and her husband also own a llama ranch with over thirty llamas that are hand selected for rare genetics. At the llama ranch, the public is invited to come and visit to learn about these elegant creatures, and to see ranch life firsthand – llama style! Dr. Lajoie and her husband have six adult children, as well as seven dogs.