Mark Doody, a chiropractor in Elizabethtown, presented “How To Stay Young The First 100 Years” in Gibble Auditorium on Feb. 18.  Doody’s lecture, which discussed chiropractic care, was sponsored by Student Wellness as part of its Take Care Tuesdays series.

Doody invited the audience to ask questions during his presentation, which was delivered to a handful of students.  He then directed the students’ attention to an informative slide with longevity graphs.  The data on the graphs illustrated that many people will live to be 150 years old by 2050. “We know you’re going to live longer,” Doody said.  He added that the main concern is “how we’re going to live” in a way that makes longer lives as healthy as possible.

“If I said someone was going to rob you of your iPod, you’re going to do something about it,” Doody said. “What if I told you someone [or something] could rob you of your health, your mobility?”  According to Doody, spinal health is often overlooked by patients and their doctors, although inattention to spinal health can easily debilitate the body.  Even Doody, as a young hockey player in Canada, was hesitant to visit a chiropractor.  “I didn’t have a clue what a chiropractor was,” Doody said.

He shared that he broke his back during a game, but the hospital staff assured him that nothing was seriously injured.  At his friend’s insistence, Doody visited a chiropractor. After noticing Doody’s swollen back, the chiropractor took an X-ray of the athlete’s spine. Unlike the hospital’s doctor, the chiropractor showed Doody the X-ray, which revealed significant damage to his back.  Doody also said that doctors should examine the spine as part of a patient’s routine physical. Even though he felt pain in his vertebrae, Doody encouraged the audience to maintain spinal health when pain is not present. “Most people judge their health by pain,” Doody said. “It’s not just about how well you feel, but how well you function.”

He used dentistry to illustrate the importance of spinal maintenance. After cavities are filled, dentists do not discharge the patients forever. Doody said that spinal upkeep, like dental health, requires recurring visits to a professional. “If you wore your spine on your face, you would take better care of it,” he said.

In his practice, Doody often sees that a diagnosis is found on incomplete information. For instance, pressure on spinal nerves can give the impression of hereditary arthritis. According to him, patients with questions deserve a “biomechanical solution to a biomedical problem,” not necessarily more prescriptions. When considering solutions to back pain, “Always go from most conservative to most invasive,” Doody said. “[The solutions] should make sense to you.”

In closing, Doody emphasized how important a healthy diet and exercise are to strengthening bones.  He said that it is important to find something enjoyable and incorporate exercise into that. “If you like taking pictures, go walk and take pictures,” Doody said.

Following his presentation, Doody offered a chiropractic check-up to anyone for a $20 donation for the Make a Wish Foundation.