Why So Few Older Patients?

It always amazes me how few older adults regularly utilize chiropractic care. As I approach 70 years of age, consistent chiropractic care is not merely an option – it’s an absolute requirement for maintaining my quality of life.

In a recent paper, the authors interviewed seniors (ages 56 and older) seeking chiropractic care for the first time to “capture their perception and experiences in either seeking or dismissing chiropractic care for their LBP.”¹ These were classified as barriers and facilitators to seeking care.

Barriers to Chiropractic Care

• Generic aspects – proximity to the nearest chiropractor, accessibility restraints due to immobility, assumption that pain is a normal part of aging, potentially conflicting comorbidities
• Financial – lack of insurance coverage, chiropractic perceived as expensive, challenges of being on a fixed income
• Image – didn’t understand benefits of chiropractic care, negative image of chiropractic, lack of referral from other health care providers

Facilitators to Chiropractic Care

• Expectation – probability of improvement, desire for a holistic approach, hands-on treatment, impressed with education required to become a DC
• Ineffectiveness of other therapies – earlier treatment didn’t work
• Referral from trusted source – made an appointment based on referral from someone they knew

Interestingly, most of the new patients did their own research before making their appointment. This point should cause you to review your website, reviews and social media posts.

This study was conducted in The Netherlands, but the majority of these findings are consistent with experiences here in the U.S. And while you are probably aware of most of these barriers and facilitators, they do bear repeating.

Through patient education, financial accommodation and creating a more senior-friendly environment, your office can attract more older patients. As the U.S. population continues to age, this should be a growing segment of your patient mix. Overcoming the reluctance of other providers to refer patients to you will also change the dynamic. But you have to be proactive to make this happen.

Chiropractic wellness is important at every stage of life. But, at this point in my life, I can easily argue that seniors need chiropractic the most.

Reference

1. De la Ruelle LP, et al. The perceived barriers and facilitators for chiropractic care in older adults with low back pain; insights from a qualitative exploration in a Dutch context. PLoS One, 2023 Apr 12;18(4):e0283661.