My chiropractic Christmas wish list

Christmas Wish #1:  More doctors like Dr. Bruce Bell.

A couple of decades ago, upper cervical chiropractic care  wasn’t on the radar of Dr. Bruce Bell, a family practice physician in the suburbs of Chicago.

Being a guy who loved his patients and science, he began to notice a trend among his patient population: some of them saw improvements in health status after receiving chiropractic care. He investigated it and discovered the NUCCA upper cervical approach to spinal balance.

That began a personal investigation into upper cervical chiropractic care. And over several years, Dr. Bell sent thousands of referrals to an upper cervical doctor, Dr. Marshall Dichholtz, Sr. of Chicago, Illinois.

The fruits of the Bell and Dickholtz working relationship weren’t just limited to happier patients. Dr. Bell insisted on trying to document some of the changes that he saw in his patients, and began the long task of trying to form a research investigation into NUCCA.

That investigation ended in the very groundbreaking pilot study on upper cervical care and hypertension featured in the Journal of Human Hypertension. In that pilot study it was shown there was a strong association between NUCCA upper cervical care and the reduction of blood pressure in high blood pressure patients.

Now the National Institutes of Health is funding another study to see if these findings can be reproduced among a larger patient population. And thousands of patients are discovering chiropractic care.

All of this wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Dr. Bruce Bell, who stepped outside his experience, and found good things were happening for his patients under upper cervical care.

Christmas Wish #2: More money for chiropractic research

Right now the Upper Cervical Research Foundation is researching the relationship between the upper cervical spine, and a number of conditions which cause human suffering. And they aren’t the only ones. A number of chiropractic colleges have strong, award winning research departments, whose studies have been instrumental in expanding our understanding about the human body. And the relationship between our health and health of the spine.

But it wasn’t until as recently as 1998 that chiropractic institutions began to get significant funding from the National Institutes of Health. Right now those funding dollars add up to several millions of dollars a year, often spread out over many projects.

Compared to several decades ago, things are better than they were. But compared to the tens of billions of dollars the federal government gives medical institutions for research, per year, the amount is almost insignificant.

There are now many studies which support the inclusion of chiropractic care for a limited number of health conditions. Far more than there were 4o years ago. But for the public and the health care system to benefit from chiropractic care, we need to be able to show how and why we help.

We can’t do that without more research money.

Christmas Wish #3: More children under upper cervical chiropractic care

“I wish I would have tried this 30 years ago,” is a common phrase heard in my office, and the office of other chiropractors.

My response, though I don’t always say it, is:  ” No, someone should have checked you right after birth.”

Now, not every baby has a difficult birth. And many of our modern birthing methods can save the lives of seriously threatened infants. Yet, they can also place a lot of stress on the upper cervical spine of infants as they move through the birth canal. A process that already places stress on the child’s head and neck.

As a result of this stress, many children come into the world with their bodies out of balance, and they show evidence of it as they grow. For many this shows up as inability or refusal to nurse on one side, a distorted sleep posture (c-shaped bent to the side), stronger motor development on one side of the body than the other, and colicky symptoms.

This imbalance may have other implications for the health and development of the child, as detailed in this article: Manual Therapy in Children.

I can tell you from personal experience, that each of my children has only received a handful of adjustments, they tend to maintain their alignment for a long time, and don’t experience the health problems that plague their playmates, like colic, headaches, and ear infections.

Perhaps if more parents were willing to actually see if their child’s “head was on straight” we might be able to avoid some of the more serious,  problems that bring people to the doctor later on in life.

Thank you for reading my Christmas wish list! Here’s how you can make each of these wishes come true:

1. If you’re a chiropractic patient who’s seen major improvements in health since starting chiropractic care, share those changes with your primary care physician. They deserve to know what you’re doing.
2. If you’d like to have more groundbreaking chiropractic research, consider become a donating sponsor of the Upper Cervical Research Foundation. This is where you can donate.
3. If you’re a parent with a child who has health challenges, consider the possibility that your child’s spinal alignment has a role to play in their health maintenance and healthy development. And get your child to a chiropractor.

Have a blessed Holiday!

A woman came for NUCCA care after hearing that Upper Cervical Chiropractic is effective as a headache treatment. While I told her that people with headaches often respond wonderfully to NUCCA care, Upper Cervical Care is not a treatment for headache.

It’s a treatment for a head to neck imbalance that may be limiting the body’s ability to heal its own headaches. I can correct her imbalance. But I’m not going to cure her headaches.

Only the body cures.

After suffering with headaches for years, often on strong, multiple doses of over the counter pain killers, she was ready to see what her body could do under NUCCA care. And so was I.

So, can you see a headache on an x-ray?

Above are her x-rays. Notice how her head is leaning quite a bit to her right in the x-ray on the left. I had her stand in front of a mirror so she could see it as well. And she did. Not surprisingly this head tilt showed up in her x-ray. And I could see that her head and her neck were creating a kink on her right side. This was placing pressure on muscles and ligaments for sure. But also potentially placing pressure on blood vessels and nerves going into her head.

I made a gentle correction based on what I measured from the x-ray. Then I measured again after the adjustment. That’s the x-ray on the right. Can you see the improvement. Her head is only leaning half as much.

But, I wasn’t happy yet. With this new information, I lowered my approach and we made another correction. You didn’t need an x-ray to see that change. She noticed that when she looked in the mirror, her head was on straight. She couldn’t believe that she had lived with head tilt all her life.

And the best part: her headaches went away after the first visit. Even the bad ones she would have with her cycle. And months later, they’ve stayed away.

Every year neck pain affects thousands for the first time. And for many it will become chronic. Always in the background, always making its presence known.

Here’s why your physician may not understand what’s going on:

1. You don’t have a disease.

Your x-rays don’t show much; damage that’s ‘normal’ for your age. Your physician is trained to recognize disease, and all your tests have come back negative. So you can’t really blame your doctor if your neck pain isn’t caused by a serious illness.

After all, everything else about you seems healthy.

2. Your muscles ache. But they aren’t causing the problem.

Neck pain often starts with a fall or accident. Muscles are strained and ligaments are stretched. But after awhile the bad pain leaves behind a dull ache.

The muscles hurt but stretching and exercise only offer temporary relief.

The problem is actually deeper than the muscles, but only a few are trained to look beneath the surface.

3. No one (but you) is thinking about the weight of your head.

When you suffer from chronic neck pain, the head just seems so heavy. It takes so much to keep it up, and do the things life asks of you. Sometimes you just have to lie down to get relief.

You feel like you have the weight of the world, not just on your shoulders, but on top of your neck. It’s a balancing act that demands a lot of your body.

But it’s a demand your physician hasn’t been trained to recognize.

So, what’s the solution?

Find a doctor that looks at more than just muscles, more than just disease, and recognizes the weight of the head for what it is: a system that requires precision.

Across the United States, thousands of chronic neck pain suffers have found relief with a little-known procedure known as upper cervical care (NUCCA).

It’s a procedure that rebalances the head with neck using gentle precision, helping the neck to finally get the relief it wants. There’s no twisting, cracking, or popping of the neck done by chiropractors, osteopaths, or other therapists.

It’s a procedure that does more than just work the muscles. It examines the key alignment of bones at the head and neck.

Alignment that’s critical for proper muscle and ligament balance in the neck and shoulders. Alignment that’s critical for the body’s own ability to heal chronic neck pain.

Here it is:

It’s a shame to know so much about life that the only people you will allow to teach you anything are those with more letters after their name.

I believe everyone has something to teach, as we all should be students of life.

I have definitely learned more about upper cervical care and chiropractic in general  from my patients than I ever could have in a classroom. Or at one of our NUCCA upper cervical conferences. By opening my ears and being willing to share in the wisdom of someone’s experience, I believe I have become a better doctor.

I still need to work at it, of course; I’m still learning. Perhaps one day we’ll have an opportunity to teach each other.

You can always start by visiting the comment boxes and sharing your wisdom.

One of the beautiful things about  upper cervical chiropractic care is how simple it is. With NUCCA we get your head on straight, take stress off the spine and the nervous system, and we wait for the body to  heal.

Nothing added. Nothing taken away.

But what makes it beautiful also makes it difficult for many to accept. Many think:

That sounds too good. That sounds too easy. If it were that simple, I would have heard of it by now.

To people with those doubts, I offer the quote from Albert Einstein above. Yes, there are complex problems that require complex solutions.

But an upper cervical misalingment is often a small, simple thing that affects body systems in such a way to cause the appearance of confusing, complex symptoms. In reality, the root of the problem may be very simple. And correctable.

You just have to be willing to accept the possibility that things aren’t as complex as you think.

Dr. Vijay K. Goel, respected researcher and co-director for Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence (E-Core) on the University of Toledo Campus is heading up this first-of-its kind study on the mechanics of the head and neck.

The research project is unique because it’s using computer based finite element modeling, which has not been done in the cervical spine.  The project hopes to demonstrate the changes to mechanics in the cervical spine, as brought about by the NUCCA upper cervical correction.

Important and groundbreaking in this work is demonstrating and defining what is biomechanically normal in a posturally neutral position, particulary in the upper cervical spine.

With a proper definiton of normal, the researchers will then be able to measure and define “abnormal” in order to test the NUCCA hypothesis of upper cervical spinal misalignment.

Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADD/ADHD. It’s the number one reported behavior disorder for children in America. Many overlooked adults suffer with it too.

While there is no “gold-standard” diagnostic test for this disorder, kids are generally described as distracted,  inattentive, and behavior problems. The diagnosis is often contentious, and children are placed on addictive drugs, simply by observation alone.

What is the the major treatment?

For many years now, the treatment of choice by medical personnel is the use of behavior modifying drugs like Ritalin (Methylphenidate). This treatment option is often supported by classroom teachers, administrators, and parents who are often exasperated by the child’s behavior. They just want him or her to be able to concentrate and learn, or at least stop disrupting the classroom.

It is a noble desire, and can be an effective treatment, but it is  not without risks. Drugs like Ritalin are class II controlled substances, which are habit forming, and whose long term effects we are just beginning to understand.

The thought of using these substances to control child behavior causes some educators and parents to pause. They wonder, “Isn’t there another option before we resort to potentially addictive, mind-altering drugs?”

Why is this happening to my child?

Over the last 10 years, searching parents, doctors, and nutritionists have sought the answer for the rise in ADD/ADHD, and treatment options that do not have to involve pharmaceuticals. Although the not everyone sees the results that they want, the answers they have found are now providing natural, drug-free relief for many children and their parents.

They believe that one, or a combination of the following is playing a major role in the disruptive child’s behavior:

• Vital nutritional deficiencies, particular in necessary fatty acids
• Exposure to heavy metals and environmental toxins, through prior medical intervention, or through chemicals in the home environment
• Toxic levels of food additives which over-excite parts of the immune system in those who are susceptible

What about spinal alignment?

In addition to the above possibilities, another cause needs to be examined: the influence of the spine, particularly the upper cervical spine, and the balance between the head and first two vertebrae of the neck.

In the  landmark book, Manual Therapy in Children, edited by German surgeon and manual therapist Heiner Biedermann, MD the author Reinhard W. Theiler (doctor of manual medicine) speaks of the role the top of the spine plays in attention disorders.

He writes:

Parents reported that in general the children’s’ ability to concentrate, sustained effort, ability to sustain attention, and impulsivity had improved considerably, and that their children seemed more mature. The follow-up tests confirmed this, with children working more quickly and confidently.

(Theiler, R. Attention Deficit Disorder and the Upper Cervical Spine. Manual Therapy in Children, H. Beiderman Ed.  Churchill Livinstone Press, Elsevier. 2004.)

What treatment did these improved ADD/ADHD children get?

They recieved manual re-alignment of the upper cervical spine, improving balance between the head and neck. These German doctors call the misalignment KISS (Kinematic Imbalance due to Subboccital Strain).

NUCCA doctors call it the Atlas Subluxation Complex.

In any case, if German surgeons are recommending upper cervical care for children with an attention-deficit problem, what about the ADD/ADHD person in your life…should not he or she be evaluated by a qualified upper cervical doctor here in the U.S. for an upper cervical imbalance?

The case for more than just Ritalin

Upper cervical alignment, environmental toxins, and food additives all may be playing a role in a child’s inability to concentrate. While Ritalin and similar substances may be effective in many cases, you do have other, safer, less invasive options to help control disruptive childhood behavior labeled as ADD/ADHD.

Even if you do not get support from your child’s teacher, principal, or pediatrician, you still have the right to seek alternatives to behavior modifying drugs.

What’s the next step?

First, talk to other parents in your community who have tried altering their child’s diet and/or assessed his or her exposure to environmental toxins, and see what resources are available in your area. Or, is there a teacher sympathetic to alternatives in your school district? She might have a few suggestions on where you should start.

Second, and just as important, examine your child’s posture for signs of upper cervical misalignment. If your child’s head is leaning or tipped toward one shoulder or the other, or if he carries his head forward, in front of the chest, then an exam by an upper cervical doctor should be helpful.

Other signs up upper cervical imbalances can be headaches in childhood, a difficult birth, and preference for nursing on one breast as an infant.

Remember adults need help too

Natural, non-invasive options for attention deficit problems may be just as effective for adults as well. Please have them get checked by an upper cervical doctor as well.

Article copyright 2009, DrZWard.com

The real cause of the short leg
Cyclists who want to address the strain of the short leg should do more than just adapt their bike; they should adapt their body. That means getting to the real cause of the short leg.

Physical therapists and chiropractors recognize that the short leg is often caused by a muscular imbalance in the pelvis. Manipulation to the SI joints and release of certain low back and pelvic muscles help relieve the imbalance. Many cyclists are helped this way.

The help is only temporary, however, in the presence of an upper cervical misalignment, the true primary cause of pelvic imbalance and the short functional leg.

For more information regarding upper cervical care and cycling, I recommend Lennard Zinn’s Cycling Primer, as he has a whole chapter dedicated to chiropractic care, speficially NUCCA. Or you can read another article by Zinn: A different approach to leg-length discrepancies, originally printed in VeloNews, and now posted here.

These are the 3 lies people believe about headaches.

1. Persistent, recurring headaches are normal. They’re not. Persistent, reoccurring headaches are a sign that something’s not right in the body.

2. Headaches run in the family, so I’m stuck with them. There are lots of different kinds of headaches, some mild, and some severe. There are many factors that go into headaches as well. But just because your mother and her sisters all get the same kind of headaches, doesn’t mean you’re destined to live with the same pain.

3. I can only control my headaches with drugs. Believe it or not, there are other answers for your headaches outside of drugs. And upper cervical care (NUCCA) is one of them.

Many headache suffers have found that an imbalance between their head and their neck was the root cause of their pain. Once that imbalance is corrected, the body is able to recover, and pain is reduced, if not eliminated. All thanks to a new alignment, and the body’s ability to heal itself.

Is an upper cervical imbalance causing your headaches? The only way to know is to get an evaluation by a trained upper cervical doctor.

This article copyright 2009, drzward.com

It is no secret: we want to get healthy and stay healthy.

Whether we are talking about the growth of the diet industry or the popularity of organic foods, people have health on their minds. And why not? Health care costs are rising, many Americans live with little or no health insurance, and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So, here is a tip to make that ounce of prevention more worthwhile: do not forget about the importance of spinal alignment and flexibility to your body’s self-healing ability. And that means don’t forget about upper cervical care  when it comes to your health.

Believe it or not, your body has a natural self-healing ability.

In scientific terms it is called homeostasis. The maintenance of your core body temperature and the closing of wounds are done courtesy of your body’s self-healing mechanisms. You are engineered to be in balance and stay that way, often doing awesome and complex tasks, like growing 25 million new cells every single second, without even realizing it. Upset this tightly controlled balance long enough and the body loses control in one system or another; the start of disease.

We naturally understand the connection between self-healing and diet.

We are told what foods to avoid, what foods to enjoy, and the how what we eat now can affect our health later. We also understand the connection between self-healing and exercise. We know that a life without the proper motion and nutrition can lead to a lack of balance, and ultimately poor health. But did you know the same could be said for the spine?

It is a law of the body that what we do not use we lose.

If a muscle is not worked, it shrinks. Likewise, joints are made for motion. Joints that are not moving are joints that are breaking down, and there is no place with a more complex interaction of bone than in the human spine. 24 bones, plus the tail-bone and the skull, with hundreds of joints and ligaments, and complex muscle groups. When these joints lose their flexibility and proper alignment, then the spine is not as healthy as it should be. And that has consequences for your overall health.

A spine in alignment and full flexibility is a healthy spine.

Conditions like low back pain, neck pain, and headaches, are a major reason that Americans miss work and give up physical activity. A balanced spine is foundational to good health–for the spine and the body which depends on it. In fact, in important animal research by chiropractic scientists, it has been shown that fixed spinal bones can lead to a persistent loss of motion and misalignment in that area of the spine, and that this loss of motion affects the health of the joint and even the nervous system cells in the area.

Which brings us to the critical reason why healthy spines are important.

Flexible spines with good alignment keep the back healthy, but they also encourage whole body health.

Protected and housed within in your spine is your spinal cord, the first thing that develops in the womb. Your spinal cord is part of the central nervous system; it is the extension of your brain into your body. The nervous system is the crowning achievement of your body, and, according to Gray’s Anatomy, has a hand in directing the function of every internal organs, from your lungs, to your stomach, to your kidneys. Poor spinal structure can negatively effect nervous system function and reduce your self-healing ability.

It is the upper cervical doctors job to care for the health of the spine and in doing so, care for the health of the nervous system.

Upper cervical chiropractic is as a drug-free, hands-on approach to spinal health, and because of the importance of the spine to whole body function, that makes chiropractic a logical part of natural health and wellness. To quote a study from the American Geriatric Society, “Older men and women with hyperkyphotic [poor] posture have higher mortality rates.”

Like controlling your waist line, and exercising your heart, keeping your spinal alignment and flexibility is an ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure when it comes to maintaining your self-healing ability. Make upper cervical care a part of your natural health care program.

This article copyright 2009, The Amazing Human Machine, LLC.