Target specific therapies that have beneficial anti-aging expanded care so patients can take advantage of your amenities offered by your anti-aging center
For decades, both anti-aging treatments and research of the aging process mainly focused on slowing down or treating specific disease processes, such as cancer. Very little time or effort was put toward prevention or understanding the aging process at a cellular level. However, with the aging of the Baby Boomer generation (those born between 1945-64), there has been an explosive increase in investigating the precise biological pathways involved in the aging process and applying them in both chiropractic and in anti-aging center locations.
It is not just enough to simply live longer. Today’s seniors want to also feel healthier and look younger in their later years. In essence, they are seeking a complete anti-aging regimen.
Living longer
Tremendous scientific and technological breakthroughs in areas such as public health and genetics have greatly expanded life expectancy. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion of the global population over the age of 60 is expected to double between 2020-50 – rising from 11% to approximately 22%.1
It’s not enough just for people to live longer. Society should be aiming for its oldest members to be as healthy as possible, for as long as possible. As part of this shift, DCs need to change their notions about both the process of aging and how to properly treat older patients.
Quality, not just quantity
One major cornerstone in this new thinking regarding anti-aging is the emphasis on the quality of extended years of life, rather than simply the number of those years.
As the WHO report explains, the proportion of a person’s life spent in good health has remained reasonably constant over time.1 This would seem to indicate that any additional years are spent in poor health. Therefore, the challenge for DCs is to help older patients focus on a wellness lifestyle so that those additional years.
On a practical level, this means targeting specific therapies that have beneficial anti-aging properties and expanding care so patients can take advantage of amenities offered by an anti-aging center.
The anti-aging center and prevention rather than treatment
Supplements that are geared toward improving conditions more common in older patients are an excellent example of this new thinking about preventing and reducing risk for disease beforehand, rather than just treating symptoms.
A 2021 report from the Nutrition Business Journal looked at the most popular supplements on the market.2 One interesting finding from this report was the fact that five of the 10 best-selling supplements were for specific conditions that are commonly associated with aging: Heart health (6%), bone and joint health (4% each), diabetes (3.7%), and cancer (3.3%).2
Given that these were the overall most popular supplements, across all age groups, it is not too much of a stretch to consider that patients in all age groups are looking to prevent these health issues before they start.
Getting ahead of the aging process
There’s no question that anti-aging skin treatments are big business.
In 2020, the global anti-aging market was worth approximately $58.5 billion, with an estimated, compound, annual growth rate of 7% between 2021-26.3 However, what has changed is the age at which people are starting their anti-aging regimens. For decades, most people only started paying more attention to their skin once they began to notice sun spots, wrinkles, or loss of collagen – usually in their mid-30s.
Nowadays, the anti-aging consumer is in their 20s, or passively even their teens, looking to protect themselves against signs of aging before they even start.
Furthermore, the concept of anti-aging skin treatments has become more holistic. For example, the American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends regular exercise, a healthy diet, good sleep habits, and quitting smoking as part of a good, anti-aging skincare routine.4 Of course, these practices have other, excellent anti-aging benefits, including weight loss, improving cardiovascular health, and reducing the risk of cancer or pulmonary disease.
There are two basic take-away messages when considering today’s patients and moving toward catering to seniors as an anti-aging center. First, they are looking for ways to prevent or slow the progression of aging, rather than try to cover up its signs. Second, anti-aging patients are not necessarily older patients. They are already working hard to get ahead of the aging process.
Savvy DCs will quickly recognize that with a burgeoning senior population, a holistic treatment plan that allows patients to meet multiple anti-aging goals at a dedicated anti-aging center at one time will produce the best results.
References
- World Health Organization. Ageing and Health. Published Oct. 4, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022.
- Nutrition Business Journal. 2021 Condition-Specific Report. Accessed April 19, 2022.
- Size of the Anti-aging Market Worldwide from 2020 to 2026.com. Accessed April 19, 2022.
- 11 Ways to Prevent Premature Skin Aging. American Academy of Dermatology Association. Accessed April 19, 2022.
