UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC TECHNIQUE in New York NY
1. What is Upper Cervical Chiropractic?
When the Cranio-cervical junction (where the head meets the neck) is injured, Upper Cervical Chiropractic care techniques in New York NY work to re-balance the area with an Adjustment that puts pressure on the Atlas (C1/first vertebral bone under the skull) which moves it back into place taking torque and compression off of the brain-stem.
Because of the vast amount of clinical research and reproducible results over several generations of practitioners, Upper Cervical Chiropractic techniques are a conservatively effective approach for healing and optimizing your health.
The weakest area of the human spine is where the head meets the neck because half of our total head movements take place between the head and the top two vertebrae. Injuries will mis-align this area of the spine in dramatic and complex ways, tearing and straining the ligaments and muscles responsible for maintaining normal posture and head alignment. The resulting misalignment and injuries causes stress and altered nerve flow to and from the brain and creates compensational distortion of the body's functional processes, structural balance and posture.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic uses a precise and reproducible system of analysis and correction to gently return proper positioning to the head and neck. As the correction in the upper neck is achieved the associated physiological symptoms and postural structural asymmetry is reduced. This return of the body to a balanced alignment reduces stress on the joints, muscles and nerve system which allows the body to heal itself from the top-down and inside-out. Patients notice changes and healing throughout their entire body as normal alignment is restored.
2. What should all Chiropractic patients know?
Many different Chiropractic techniques are practiced today, the majority are designed to utilize the spine and nervous system to affect the health of the body. Some Chiropractors may limit their scope simply to address and reduce symptoms and pain. Others, however, go beyond symptom management to restore the integrity and function of the spine and central nerve system promoting postural restoration and its effects on adaptation, health and well-being.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic techniques include Toggle-Recoil, Grostic, Blair, NUCCA, Atlas-Orthogonal/Orthospinology and Hole-In-One, and have developed a reproducible system of spinal correction and restoration based on the body's own engineering and design. Each patient is unique and the Upper Cervical Chiropractic system is designed to assess each person's spine individually to determine if correction and restoration is necessary.
Spinal injuries at any age can result in tearing and stretching of spinal muscles, tendons and ligaments. This damage allows for locked misalignments (Subluxations) of the individual bones (vertebrae) which surround and protect the brain stem, spinal cord and nerve roots. When the top bone of the spine (Atlas or C1) is misaligned it puts pressure and torque on the brain-stem and Vagus nerve which distorts signals from the brain and central nervous system feeding all parts of the body. This phenomenon is known as the Atlas-Subluxation Complex and results in malfunction of the body's ability to heal, adapt and restore itself. The goal of the Upper Cervical Adjustment is to balance the structures of the spine and pelvis, which takes the torque and compression off of the central nerve system and allows it to function properly, promoting health and healing naturally, without drugs or surgery.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic technique focuses on a measurable, predictable and reproducible restoration of structural and functional balance using the relationship of the skull to the cervical spine (the neck) and their effect on the brain-stem. Reproducible application of relevant principles of mathematics, physics, biomechanics, physiology and kinesiology are applied to the effort to correct the Atlas Subluxation Complex which minimizes guesswork and maximizes predictable outcomes.
FACT: "Chiropractic care cut the cost of treating back pain medically by 28%, reduced hospitalizations among back pain patients by 41% and reduced back surgeries by 32%."
-Archives of Internal Medicine October 11, 2004.
3. Why do Upper Cervical Chiropractic Techniques focus on the Atlas (cervical vertebra 1/C1)?
Restoring the Atlas to its normal position and optimal function at the top of the spinal column on the vertical axis (top to bottom) reduces and removes the excessive and unbalanced neurological communication flow throughout the spinal cord. This reduces the spastic contracture of the spinal extensor muscles and re-aligns the spine and pelvis over time. The joints of the spine and pelvis can then work normally, distributing the body's weight evenly in gravity through the vertical axis.
The location of the atlas at the base of the skull makes the central nerve system (brain, brain-stem, spinal cord and nerve roots) vulnerable to interference when the atlas Subluxates/Misaligns. Because the Atlas Subluxates/Misaligns in 3 planes of motion relative to the skull and rest of the spine and pelvis, specific X-rays in three planes are essential to determine the Atlas Subluxation Complex/Misalignment pattern. Measuring each person's misalignment pattern assures the proper Adjustment for that person and increases the probability of correction over time.
Because of the complexity of the Atlas Subluxation Complex/Misalignment pattern, the Upper Cervical Adjustment must be highly specific and Chiropractors who become proficient in its use even after years of study and practice must still take periodic Xrays after the first adjustment to determine if the maximum correction has been made.
FACT: "Chiropractic care is the number one natural, non-drug choice for most pains and injuries."
-Media General Research, December 2001
4. Can Doctors heal injuries and disease?
The Chiropractic Adjustment does not heal the patient. In fact, no Doctor of any field (Medical, Chiropractic, Osteopathy, etc) has ever healed anyone, anywhere or anytime in history. A doctor's role is to intervene in the healing process of the patient, and by performing that intervention the doctor facilitates the patients' ability to survive and/or heal. Medical doctors focus on emergency intervention, Chiropractors focus on chronic and acute, non-life threatening conditions. Once the intervention is performed, it is up to the individual patients' own physiology to do the healing. For example, when you get a cut, you would normally clean it and put a bandaid on it, however, does the band aid heal the cut, no it's your body's innate physiological intelligence which has evolved and adapted over millennia that does the healing.
Chiropractic facilitates this innate capacity of the living organism to heal by removing neuro-structural physiological interference which allows the body to heal over time.
The same concept is true for symptom relief. It's the patients' own body that stimulates healing and immune system function when operating at its highest levels. By innately healing itself the symptoms (or warning signs of dysfunction) go away.
Normal function of the patients' nerve system is vital to the bodys' ability to self-heal. The Adjustment restores the normal activity of the nerve system affected by the Vertebral Subluxation (misalignment).
Interference from Upper Cervical Subluxation/misalignment at the level of the brain-stem affects vital organ function (heart rate, blood pressure, lung expansion, etc) and prevents the body from healing itself at a foundational and life-altering level. For this reason, regardless of the nature of the dis-ease process, whether it's the common cold or cancer, if the patient is kept free of basic regulatory neurological interference they will greatly benefit, even in conjunction with other treatment.
5. Do Symptoms Matter?
Yes and no. Symptoms are signals from the body that indicate change. Symptoms are not the problem, they are messages that something must be addressed. However, what causes symptoms for one person won't necessarily cause symptoms for other people. It all depends on the individual's state of health, their internal environment and how adaptive and functional it is. It's the soil, not the seeds that determine the health of the individual.
Unfortunately for the individuals who do not understand this basic concept of health and adaptation, Vertebral Subluxations will produce imbalance and misalignments in the body structure long before symptoms occur, in most cases. Relief of symptoms is therefore a product of the removal of Neuro-Structural regulatory interference, the relief of symptoms is a secondary effect.
First, there must be an Adjustment, a re-setting of the Subluxated/misaligned vertebrae, and it must be done for a period of time for the vertebrae to hold their normal positions until the healing process is complete.
It is important to understand that symptoms are variables and are not always indicative of a patients' true state of health. Many factors influence how a patient feels: stress, fatigue, fear, anxiety, weather, age, weight, activity levels, jobs, etc. Therefore, Adjustments cannot be applied based on how the patient 'feels' at any given time. The only safe and reliable method is to check the patient for the presence or absence of neuro-structural interference (Subluxations/misalignments).
FACT: "According to a study on the effectiveness of Chiropractic care on migraines, the average response of the group showed a statistically significant improvement in migraine frequency, duration and disability. It showed that people were able to reduce their medication use, with a significant number reducing their medication to zero."
-Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, February 2000
6. What is the "Retracing Effect?"
Retracing is the term used for an increase in body awareness through the healing process under Chiropractic care. As you heal you feel! This is especially true when we are not taking pharmaceutical drugs which can mask the symptoms. Being fully engaged with your own healing process will allow you to make better decisions as you learn to read and understand what your symptoms are telling you. This increased self-awareness and sensitivity will help make you the captain of your ship (your body) instead of a passenger who has no say in how the ship is run or where it's going!
Following the first Adjustment, either immediately or within a few hours, the patient may experience a warming or tingling sensation in an arm, leg, neck, low back, chest or abdomen. This is the healing response which occurs in patients with health problems in these areas. Reactions are due to an increase in the activity of sensory afferent nerve tracts.. Nerve impressions (messages) to the brain are increased by the specific Adjustment and the patient is often made more aware of their state of health and any related conditions. This phenomenon occurs only in cases where the Subluxation/misalignment is interfering with the sensory nerves by blocking or reducing messages to the brain.
Sometimes a patient may experience an increase in their symptoms in the beginning of care. The reason for this is the removal of the structural interference blocking the sensory messages to the brain, allowing for an increase in information and sensory perception as the body begins to heal. Patients will not experience this phenomenon from healthy areas of the body.
The Chiropractic Doctors' responsibility in Upper Cervical care is to correctly analyze the Vertebral Subluxation, measuring it's neuro-structural distortion in the patients' body. The analysis is done through specific X-ray studies measuring the degree of vertebral displacements in all planes of motion, and establishing an Adjustment procedure for each case. Each Upper Cervical care visit consists of maximum reduction of the Subluxation/misalignment complex through the specific Adjustment procedure. Over time this process restores the spinal and pelvic distortions to the vertical axis of the body, and the patients' progress is monitored throughout the care process.
FACT: "A study which took place during May and June of 1996 examined the Chiropractic effectiveness in correcting the cause of asthma in patients from birth to age 17. The study showed a 75% reduction in asthma attacks with Chiropractic care. Also, patient satisfaction was rated 8.5 on a scale of 10."
-Michigan Chiropractic Council, 1996
7. What Does the Healing and Recovery Time Look Like?
In order to obtain the best results it is crucial that the patient comply with their recommended care plan to the best of their abilities simply because of the complex nature of the Vertebral Subluxation process. The patient should be monitored until the body is stabilized and structurally and functionally balanced. Muscular and ligament tissue damage create chronic scar tissue and weakness that will likely take weeks or months to heal and stabilize.
The patient should be checked for neuro-structural interference regardless of how they feel until stabilization is achieved. The Chiropractic patient should also understand that some Subluxations are more chronic and complex to handle than others. Some cases are pathological while others are functional, and the latter respond more rapidly.
Recovery time is unique to each individual patient. The rate of recovery is dependent on 10 general factors: (1)what the patients' condition is, (2)how long they have suffered with the Subluxation complex, (3)how severe the Subluxation condition is, (4)the time required for nerve and tissue repair, (5)the general state of the patients' health and age, (6)how committed the patient is to following the Doctors' recommendations to support and protect their Adjustments, (7)how long the Adjustments hold, (8)what repetitive postures and activities the patient will be doing and the potential for continued injuries, (9)the difficulty of the Adjustments and (10)the environmental factors affecting the patients' health.
Patients should always report all injuries to the doctor, however insignificant they might seem, as they could produce a significant change in the Subluxation pattern which would require changes to the Adjustment. The healing process slows or stops when the Subluxation recurs, and pattern changes from postural stress and injuries can change the Adjustment approach the Doctor takes.
Patients who hold their adjustments longer will heal faster as the Adjustment-stimulated healing process outpaces the degeneration and scar-tissue cycles in the body. It is important to note that even though you may be healing at a faster rate you may not feel better because there is a biological lag time in nature between the cause of a process (the Adjustment) and the manifestation of the effects of that process (feeling better). The lag time is where the healing happens, and it is different for different people.
A general rule is 30% of patients feel better almost immediately, 30% of patients feel no change in the beginning and then start to feel exponentially better, and 30% of people feel worse in the beginning and then start feeling exponentially better. Scientific data tells us to expect an average of 1% of structural and physiological improvement per Chiropractic session. Remember 1% of healing improvement can equal up to an 80% improvement in symptom relief which is why it is so important to continue your care through the entire recommendations so you don't fall back into Subluxation and symptoms, especially when we are feeling better!
There are many reasons why Subluxation recurs. We have already discussed injuries and patient care of their Adjustments. In most cases, ligaments and tendons (the fibrous cords attaching bone to bone and muscles to bone) become warped and stretched in the original injury and subsequent re-injuries and postural stresses over time. Once these ligaments and tendons are stretched, they do not regain their tonal elasticity on their own, this is where the structural healing component of the Chiropractic Adjustment comes into play. The head weighs about 10-15lbs and rests on the Atlas (C1) which is a very small surface. Because no structural boney lock exists at the upper cervical level as in other spinal vertebrae, it takes time for the tissues to heal and the Atlas to stay in place after it has been reset. The goal is for the Adjustments to last longer and longer as the healing process continues. Remember to be patient with your body and have faith in your innate healing potential, it is there for a reason!
FACT: "Over a six month period, in a study on the effectiveness of Chiropractic care for HIV, the control group experienced a 7.96% decrease in CD4 counts while the Adjusted group experienced a 48% increase in CD4 cell counts over the same period of time."
-Chiropractic Research Journal, 1994
UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC in New York NY
"2-4-6 Rules"
2 - Hours before your appointment please refrain from tobacco use and chocolate.
4 - Hours before your appointment please refrain from consuming any caffeinated beverages including coffee, energy drinks, soda, tea, or supplements containing this substance.
6 - Hours before your appointment please refrain from taking any medications or recreational drugs.
The "2-4-6" rules are important to help ensure that your doctor is able to obtain an accurate neurologic scan. It is imperative to not only avoid the intake of such substances prior to your appointment, as well as after and in between each visit to ensure prolonged results.
***Chiropractic Care Acceptance***
When a patient seeks chiropractic care and we accept a patient for such care, it is essential for both to be working towards the same objective.
As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I have only one goal. It is important that each patient understand both the objective and the method that will be used to attain it. This will prevent any confusion or disappointment.
ADJUSTMENT: An adjustment is the specific application of force to facilitate the body's correction of vertebral subluxation. Our chiropractic method of correction is specific adjustments of the spine.
HEALTH: A state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being , not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION COMPLEX (VSC): A misalignment of one or more of the 24 vertebra of the spinal column which causes abnormal nerve function and interference to the transmission of nerve impulses, resulting in a lessening of the body's ability to express its maximum health potential.
We do not offer to diagnose or treat any disease or condition other than vertebral subluxation. However, if during the course of a chiropractic spinal examination, we encounter a non- chiropractic or unusual finding, we will advise you. If you desire advice, diagnosis or treatment for those findings, we will recommend you seek the services of a health care provider who specializes in that area.
Regardless of what the disease is called, we do not offer to treat it. Nor do we offer advice regarding treatment prescribed by others. OUR ONLY PRACTICE OBJECTIVE is to eliminate a major interference to the body's innate wisdom which resides in the central nerve system, the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC).
