Chiropractic care for seniors in St. Thomas

A good share of our patients are past 65. Some have lived on St. Thomas their whole lives. Some retired here, or spend the winter here, or came down to be near grandchildren and found that the hills and the stairs are harder than they used to be. Bodies change after 65, and the way we treat them changes too.

Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness is in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, just east of Charlotte Amalie. There is plenty of parking at the VI Medical Foundation Building, an elevator up to Suite 202, and the building is ADA accessible. Dr. Keys is the Chair of the Virgin Islands Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a member of the Virgin Islands Chiropractic Society, and the International Chiropractors Association representative for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What changes after 65

Spinal discs lose water and height, so the spine stiffens and the joints behind the discs carry more load. Arthritis shows up in the neck, the low back, the hips, and the knees. In some people the canal that carries the nerves narrows, which is spinal stenosis, and walking any distance brings on leg heaviness that eases when you sit. Healing is slower than it was at 40. Balance gets worse, partly from the feet losing sensation and partly from stiff hips and ankles that do not react as fast. None of this means you have to live with it. It means the plan has to fit the spine you have. See our degenerative disc disease page and our spinal stenosis page.

How we adjust an older spine

We use low-force methods for most patients over 65. That means an adjusting instrument, the drop table, and flexion-distraction, a slow stretching technique on a moving table that opens the low back without any thrust. There is no high-force twisting or pushing over bone that may be fragile.

If you have been told you have osteoporosis or osteopenia, or you have broken a wrist, a hip, or a vertebra in the past, tell us before the first adjustment. We take digital x-rays first where that is indicated, and there are areas we will treat with soft tissue work and exercise only. Long-term steroid use and a history of cancer also change what we do, so bring your full history.

Working with your doctor

Bring your medication list to the first visit. Blood thinners, steroids, and some pain medications matter to how we treat, and we would rather know than guess. If your physician has ordered imaging, bring the report. The free review is for spinal MRIs. Bring your MRI disc to the office. Dr. Keys reads the images himself and goes over them with you in person. Medicare patients are not eligible for it. With your permission we send your physician a short note on what we found and what we are doing, and we will refer back when something is outside our lane. Chiropractic care sits alongside your medical care, not instead of it.

Numb feet, balance, and falls

Numb or burning feet are one of the most common things older patients tell us about, and the usual cause is peripheral neuropathy, often from diabetes. Our peripheral neuropathy program is an in-office and at-home plan aimed at feeling and function in the feet. See our numbness and tingling in feet page.

Balance is the other half. Loss of feeling in the feet, stiff ankles, weak hips, and a stiff neck all make a stumble more likely, and a fall after 65 is a serious event. We work on the joints, then teach a short balance program: sit-to-stand from a kitchen chair, heel-to-toe walking along a counter, single-leg stands holding the back of a chair, and ankle and hip mobility. See our hip pain page as well.

Realistic goals

We do not promise a 30-year-old spine. We aim at things you can measure: walking from the car into the store without stopping, sleeping through the night, climbing your own stairs, getting in and out of the car without bracing, and fewer flare-ups over the year. Most older patients come in more often for a few weeks, then taper to an occasional visit when things are steady.

When to see someone else

• A fall with a blow to the head, or hip pain or inability to put weight on a leg after a fall: go to the nearest hospital emergency room
• New confusion, chest pain, sudden weakness or drooping on one side of the body, or trouble speaking: call 911
• Unexplained weight loss, back pain that wakes you at night, or fever with back pain: see your physician first
• Loss of bowel or bladder control, or numbness in the saddle area: emergency room

If the exam points to severe stenosis, a fracture, or a nerve that is losing strength, Dr. Keys will refer you to your physician, a neurologist, or an orthopedist rather than treat around it.

Getting seen

Call (340) 690-4994 or email info@tradewindschiropractic.com. We are in the VI Medical Foundation Building, Suite 202, 9150 Estate Thomas, St. Thomas, USVI 00802. Hours are Mon, Wed, Thu: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm; Tue, Fri: 7:00 am to 2:00 pm; closed Sat and Sun. We take walk-ins and same-day appointments. Our full list of services is on the services page. We have more than 180 five-star Google reviews. We accept Medicare, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, and we bill your insurance for you. Our Medicare page explains what Medicare generally covers for chiropractic care.

Questions patients ask

Is there a chiropractor for seniors in St. Thomas?

Yes. Tradewinds Chiropractic & Wellness in Charlotte Amalie treats many patients over 65, including year-round residents and winter visitors. Dr. Keys uses low-force methods for older spines and coordinates with your physician. Call (340) 690-4994.

Do you have a gentle chiropractor for elderly patients in the USVI?

Our care for older patients is low-force by design. We use an adjusting instrument, a drop table, and flexion-distraction instead of high-force thrusts, and we take x-rays first where bone density is a concern. Most patients describe the visit as gentle.

I have balance problems and I am worried about falls. Can a chiropractor help in St. Thomas?

Often, yes. Stiff ankles and hips, weak legs, and numb feet all raise fall risk, and we treat the joints and teach a short daily balance program. If the feet are numb from peripheral neuropathy, our neuropathy program works on that directly. Dizziness from the inner ear or the heart needs your physician first, and we will tell you if that is what we suspect.

Is it safe to see a chiropractor if I have osteoporosis?

It can be, with the right methods. Tell us about your bone density, any past fractures, and your medications before the first visit. We take x-rays where indicated, use low-force techniques, and skip adjusting over areas that should not be adjusted. Some areas we treat with soft tissue work and exercise only.

Do you take Medicare?

Yes. We accept Medicare, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, and we bill your insurance for you. If you have a supplemental or Medicare Advantage plan that is not one of those, call (340) 690-4994 with your card and we will tell you before you book.