ALL ABOUT UPPER CERVICAL
CARE & BODY IMBALANCE
Are your physical problems being caused by Body Imbalance?
Body Imbalance occurs when the C1 or Atlas, and/or the C2 or Axis, the top
two vertebra in the neck, are misaligned and out of their proper position. This
can occur as a result of an accident, emotional trauma, or chemical toxicity in
the body. Childbirth itself can move the atlas out of position because of the
massive amounts of pressure on the head and neck of the baby as it passes down
the birth canal. Or childhood accidents like falling from a tree, bike or skates
can misalign it. In adulthood, the atlas can be shoved out of position during
minor or major accidents such as sporting accidents, automobile accidents or
slips and falls. Some of the worst cases of atlas misalignment and resulting
pain have been caused by minor car accidents such as being rear-ended. One
indication of body imbalance is having one leg slightly shorter than the other.
You may also notice that when you stand in front of a mirror one shoulder is
slightly higher than another, and one hip is higher than the other. Another
indication your atlas may be out of position is by having different symptoms in
your body that your medical doctor cannot explain or find the cause for on any
tests.
"How can Body Imbalance cause me to have
physical problems?"
The C1 or Atlas is a donut-shaped bone that your skull rests on. Your spinal
cord coming out of your brain and brain stem passes through the center of the
donut shape. Your spinal cord at that point consists of trillions of nerve
fibers (the nervous system) that "bottle-neck" through the small
opening in the atlas. These fibers eventually branch off carrying information to
every part of your body. If the C1 is out of its proper position it can
irritate, constrict or disrupt vital nerve signals to any portion of your body.
This can cause muscle or joint pain, organ dysfunction, lowered immune system
and countless other conditions that you would not ordinarily relate to a problem
originating in your neck.
"Why do you call it Body Imbalance rather
than a neck imbalance?"
Because it effects the entire spine and body. Wherever your atlas moves, your
head moves with it. If this top bone in your neck has shifted out of position
ever so slightly, no more than the thickness of a fingernail, it can move your
head off center of your body. In an effort to keep the head over the center of
the neck, the entire spine and pelvis will twist, pulling one hip up and one leg
with it. You are now walking around on one leg that is shorter than the other.
This places more weight on one side of your body than another. The wear and tear
on your entire body is exactly like driving a car that is out of alignment. The
result can be muscle and joint pain anywhere in the body. Without correcting the
problem, which originated with a single bone (Atlas) at the top of your neck
moving out of position, your entire body is now imbalanced. When this continues
over time, something else starts to happen. Because nerve flow is disrupted or
distorted, degeneration of cells in organs can occur, causing internal physical
problems that may not show up for years.
Fortunately, no. The Upper Cervical Correction can be described as a slight
pre-determined direction of pressure applied to the first bone (Atlas) or second
bone (Axis) in the neck. Depending on the technique, it can feel like a brisk
thrust, a light tap, or a massage on the side of the neck just below the
earlobe. That's where the atlas is. Sometimes this is accompanied by a loud pop
or series of tiny ticks as the bone moves back into place. There is NO twisting
of the neck. This correction is engineered to reposition the weight of the head
(10 to 14 pounds) over the center of the body in order to restore body balance
and restore brain to body communication. When the correction is made, muscles
begin to relax, blood and oxygen circulation is increased, the brain is able to
communicate with the affected area, and the body's natural healing process
begins. The healing process continues as long as body balance is maintained and
the brain can communicate with all parts of the body.
"Does it have to be corrected often?"
That depends on your own body. Some people can hold their correction for
several months, even a year at a time. Others have to be corrected once or twice
a week in the beginning, then one or twice a month. Everyone is different. The
Upper Cervical doctor's objective is to make as precise an Upper Cervical
correction as possible. Then he/she must help you maintain the correction with
as few corrections as possible so that you may live pain free and enjoy a better
quality of life. Periodic Upper Cervical checkups, just like dental checkups and
physicals, should be part of your personal preventive health care program. If
you are maintaining your correction and body balance then your Upper Cervical
chiropractor will not adjust you.
Is there anything I can do to decrease the number of times I need a correction?
There are several things you can do to decrease the number of Upper Cervical adjustments/corrections your body will require. Just a few of the ways we've found from our patients includes drinking LOTS of water, eating a healthy diet, and getting plenty exercise. Other ways include not putting things in your body that it can't use such as unnecessary medicines and drugs such as ibuprofen, caffeine, sugars such as excessive sodas, (especially diet soft drinks), tobacco, alcohol, etc. These things can prevent your body from doing the job it was designed to do including holding the adjustments.
"I am concerned about radiation from the
x-rays. Are they completely necessary?"
Yes. They are the cornerstone of the Upper Cervical doctor's practice and are
very specialized. Most radiology equipment today along with lead aprons keeps
radiation to a minimum. Plus, any minimal danger from radiation, in our opinion,
cannot be compared to the destruction that is going on in your body every minute
your atlas obstructs brain to body communication. Any shift the atlas makes can
cause multiple health problems. But sometimes that shift in position is no
greater than the thickness of a fingernail. The Upper Cervical doctor has to
rely on x-rays to determine the exact position your atlas/axis vertebrae have
misaligned. The specific analysis of the x-rays will allow the doctor how to
reposition your atlas to within a fraction of an inch back to the correct
position it should be.
Our office chooses to do X-rays on your initial visit and then usually only again after the first six months to a year after care.
The Upper Cervical doctor will make the correction only after an intensive analysis of
how far out of position your atlas is. After correcting the atlas, a
second series post-heat reading is utilized to
determine if the adjustment was done correctly. (The heat reading in no way
emits any radiation. These are referred to as pre and
post x-rays and pre and post heat readings. The doctor will show you these
"before and after" x-rays and/or heat readings so that you can see the
difference the correction has made.
How soon should I get my children under this
care?
As soon after birth as possible, and then have them checked periodically as
they grow up. You could not possibly give your child a better gift than to make
certain that the one organ of the body that controls all the other organs and
body functions, the brainstem, is doing its job without interference from the
tiny bone just below it.
A fraction of what you have probably already spent in your quest to get well.
There will be some expense at the beginning for the x-rays that are so necessary
to properly determine the exact position of the upper cervical vertebra. If
your insurance covers chiropractic, it should cover Upper Cervical as well.
Unfortunately, some HMO's and PPO's only have certain chiropractors on their
list of providers and you have to go to them. Though equally well trained in
other chiropractic procedures, most of these chiropractors may not be trained in
precision Upper Cervical chiropractic. The actual treatment for Upper
Cervical chiropractic care costs no more than other forms of chiropractic care.
Contact Laurie at our office who will be able to assist you with billing or
insurance questions.
If the Upper Cervical procedure is so good, why
haven't I heard about it before?
You may not have never heard about this before for one of two probable
reasons. The first reason could be that some laws forbid any
chiropractor of any procedure to imply that his method is superior or more
advanced than other chiropractic methods. If a chiropractor does this, he could
be severely chastised by his state board of chiropractic examiners by being
heavily fined and/or threatened with the loss of his license. This law was
probably passed to protect the public from chiropractors making unrealistic
claims about their procedure. The unfortunate result of this law, however, is
that chiropractors who practice almost exclusively a specific type of
chiropractic care simply remain silent about the benefits of their procedure. A
law meant to protect the public has actually created a moratorium on vital
information that could be of tremendous benefit and cost savings to the public.
The second reason could be that some prejudice remains
directed against chiropractic care by establishment medical professionals. In
medical school, these physicians are taught that pain, illness, and disease are
usually best treated with drugs and/or surgery. Since a physician is often
expected to diagnose and treat conditions in this manner, the quickest route to
eliminate symptoms is typically their first choice. However, many
physicians now regard chiropractic care as a beneficial therapy and foundation
to whole-body wellness and often refer their patients to chiropractic doctors.
Who Can Benefit from Upper Cervical Care?
Everyone - infants to seniors, mothers-to-be, athletes, and accident victims will benefit from a healthy spine and nervous system! If you have a health problem, the doctors in the Upper Cervical Health Centers of America network will strive to correct its cause, not just treat the symptoms. If you are symptom free, upper cervical care is one of the best ways to stay healthy.
Click here to see a pamphlet with more information regarding Body Imbalance.
You will need Adobe reader to view it. If you don't have
it, you can download it here.
Information provided by National Awareness Campaign for Upper Cervical Care and Upper Cervical patient advocates.
Used with permission from Dr. Daniel O. Clark D.C.
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©Cedar Valley Upper Cervical 2008