%0 Journal Article
%T Diagnostic imaging for spinal disorders in the elderly: a narrative review
%A John AM Taylor
%A Andr¨¦ Bussi¨¨res
%J Chiropractic & Manual Therapies
%D 2012
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/2045-709x-20-16
%X According to the United States Census Bureau, between the years 2000 and 2010, the United States (US) population aged 45 to 64£¿years and 65£¿years and over grew at rates of 31.5 percent and 15.1 respectively [1]. This rapid growth in the aged population is a consequence of an increase in life expectancy as well as the ¡°Baby Boom¡± generation. Every year over 3.5 million baby boomers in the US turn 55 leading to predictions that by 2035, 20 percent of the population will be 65 or older [2]. A similar trend is observed in Australia where the proportion of the population aged 65£¿years and over increased from 11.1£¿% to 13.5£¿% between the years 1990 and 2010 [3]. Unsurprisingly, this aging trend is associated with an increased use of health care services for a number of heath conditions.For instance, neck pain (NP) and low back pain (LBP) are common complaints in seniors, leading to impaired functional ability and decreased independence. A recent cross sectional study suggests between 10-20£¿% of seniors over the age 70 reported more than 30£¿days of NP or LBP within the past year, with a significant proportion having diminished their physical activities due to NP (11£¿%) or LBP (15£¿%) within the past year [4]. Poor overall physical function, bad self-rated health, and higher depression scores have been associated with higher prevalence of neck and back pain [5]. Most neck and back pain sufferers seeking help consult primary care professionals, including chiropractors [6,7].Chiropractors specialize in managing musculoskeletal disorders and reviews have indicated that this approach is as effective and safe as conventional medical care and physiotherapy for back pain [8-10]. When combined with other modalities such as exercise, chiropractic care appears to be more effective than other treatment approaches for patients with chronic neck pain [9,11,12]. For acute and subacute neck pain, cervical manipulation appears to be more effective than medication in both the short and long
%K Narrative review
%K Low back pain
%K Neck pain
%K Diagnostic imaging
%K Radiography
%K Computed tomography
%K Magnetic resonance imaging
%K Aging
%K Geriatric
%U http://www.chiromt.com/content/20/1/16