1. I’m addicted to seeing visible changes in posture.

There is a quote by a medical doctor, Dr. Rene Cailliet at the University of Southern California, that says:

The entire body can be aligned by first aligning the head.

As an upper cervical chiropractor who uses posture as a a before and after tool to help me to decide whether to give an adjustment or not, I understand what the doctor is talking about.

Hip tilt and twist, spasm in the lower back muscles, leaning of the spine, and shoulders that aren’t level can all change and resolve after a careful, measured adjustment to the upper cervical spine. Many of these changes are instantaneous.

Posture changes after adjustments to the top of neck.

In a world where some believe that change in posture is only possible after months of sweating through muscle retraining, or spending thousands of dollars on traction, it is nice to see it after one chiropractic adjustment.

2. I like giving everyone an adjustment that is unique to them.

You can adjust the upper neck based on lack of motion alone. If it’s stuck on the right, adjust the right. If it’s stuck on the left, adjust the left.

But there is another school of thought that says that the head and the neck are in such unique balance to each other, that chiropractors should not just guess on a direction based on the motion of the joint. Instead we should measure the misalingment taking the measurements of all the bones at the top of the neck into account, which are unique for every individual.

With the NUCCA system for the care of the upper neck and spine, that is exactly how we do it, with very detailed x-rays and measurements.

The goal is to give everyone a unique adjustment that is unique to their specific anatomy.

3. I believe that less is more and enjoy practicing that way.

In the early days of chiropractic care there was a lot of experimentation with adjusting procedures. Some advocated adjusting every single vertebrae in the back. Others adjusted the same series of vertebrae in every single patient.  As the art and science of adjusting developed, gradually there grew in interest in discovering how much could be accomplished with one adjustment.

That lead to the discovery of the unique relationship between the top of the neck and its influence on the rest of the spine and body.

Today, upper cervical chiropractors try to get the most positive change in the body in the least invasive way, with the least number of adjustments possible. Many of the people that we serve appreciate this less is more approach when they see what kind of healing changes that are often possible, often in fewer chiropractic visits.

To put it another way: there is no sense in using a crowbar to open a door when you have the key.

4. There are 24 vertebrae, but only two are named Atlas and Axis.

Of all the many bones in the spine, there are only two that anatomy experts have given special names. They are the first and second neck bones, or vertebrae. They are known as C1 and C2, or Atlas and Axis.

Atlas is a good name for the first neck bone, because like Atlas of ancient mythology, it holds up the weight of the world, which in your case, is your heavy head and all the important brains inside.

Axis is a perfect name for the second neck bone, because it has a unique shape which allows the the Atlas bone to pivot around it with almost 160 degrees or more of motion. In anatomy we call it a trochoid joint, and it is the only joint of its kind in the human body.

Together, Atlas and Axis provide us with some of the largest and dynamic joint movement in the spine, all while holding up the weight of the head. Mechanically speaking, it makes sense that this area is less stable, and more likely to be affected by a minor injury.

As spinal bones Atlas and Axis do more than just provide motion and balance the head. They also provide protection to the nervous system which is housed inside the spinal column. At the level of first neck bone, there are nerve system controls that influence a lot of body systems, including our heart rate and breathing.

It is a pretty important place to work in the spine, and is worthy of a special name.

Cervicogenic headache and upper cervical chiropractic care

Here is one story from a doctor whose daughter suffered with terrible eczema and dermatitis. As these kinds of atopic conditions seem to be on the rise in children, it’s important that parents know that addressing the nervous system, through  chiropractic care, is an option as they seek answers.

Editor’s note: Dr. Johnathan Oliver is a friend and a colleague practicing in the Grandview Heights area of Columbus, Ohio. This is taken from his practice website, where he tells about his whole family’s experience with upper cervical chiropractic care.

Severe eczema and allergic dermatitis

My daughter story, though, is the real miracle in my opinion. She has had severe eczema and allergic dermatitis. At times her whole body has been covered in a rash. This all started at about 4 months old.

(Even before her first rash, my wife and I noticed that she was always restless; never once sleeping through the night in those four months, and requiring us to walk with her for an hour each night before she would sleep.)

Baby with eczema

We tried every cream we could find–as many as 50 different creams, oils, and lotions just to give her relief. Many would make her rashes worse, and even burn. We noticed that the creams with mineral oil, lanolin and other additives made her react the worst. The disturbing thing is the fact that most were labeled “for eczema”. The rash was so bad that she would scratch until she bleed on her hands, the creases of her arms, and the back of her legs. Our pediatrician recommended we see a dermatologist.

The dermatologist was a very kind man and said that is was one of the worse cases he had ever seen. He recommended steroid cream due to the risk of infection. He gave us one of the strongest steroids he could, one made for adults. He thought it would be the only thing that might help. We tried it, and it did help…for a little while.But her skin would always flare back up right after use.

We were then sent to a specialist in allergic conditions. My daughter’s skin was so bad that they could not do any testing. So they recommend 12 days of Prednisone to clear up the skin…enough to do the test. Once again it worked a little while, but as soon as we slowed the Prednisone down, it flared back up.

We tried everything but nothing helped. We started giving her a bath ever single night in slightly cool water because luke-warm water would hurt her. She would cry many times when first getting in, due to her rash. Immediately after the bath we would put on Vaseline to help seal in some moisture. At times, I would wrap her wounds with cotton cloth coated with Vaseline so she could get a few hours rest. We tried every elimination diet possible, except the water only diet.

It came down to the last straw when my daughter had a deadly allergic reaction to peanuts. She ate a natural protein bar, which had nuts in, and began swelling up. Her airway was threatened. We took her to the E.R. and they gave her a shot of epinephrine. We still an epi-junior with with us to this day. Not long after she started having wheezing, a sign associated with asthma. And this was it… I knew something different had to happen.

The same day she started wheezing we drove 16 hours to Florida, only stopping for gas and food. We took her to see a pediatric upper cervical doctor, who practices the gentle, precise technique of Orthospinology. [Ed.'s note: this technique is similar to NUCCA.]

And after her first adjustment we went to the hotel and she slept through the night. This was the first time that I could remember her sleeping so long without scratching. Amazingly, she has not needed any more steroids since that day. Or Vaseline, or any other other creams, or lotions. She has only had fits of wheezing three times. We still do not eat wheat, but avoiding wheat only helped after her atlas (first bone in the neck) was adjusted.

Upper cervical care has given us our daughter back . And she is happy and healthy.

One of the reasons I chose to build my chiropractic practice around the upper cervical spine (the area between the head/neck) was because of the profound results I had personally seen in some friends and family under upper cervical chiropractic care. Stories of MS relief were part of that decision.

Now as an upper cervical doctor, MS often comes up in conversations that I have with friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. People want to know: can chiropractic care help MS? And what about upper cervical chiropractic care in particular?

For some people these are controversial questions, as they fly in the face of some of our assumptions about what causes MS and the role of chiropractic care. Yet, there is a plausible theory at work here- that could explain why.

Find out what I think in this video blog entry. Available in three parts.

MS and Chiropractic Care Part 1

MS and Chiropractic Care Part 2

MS and Chiropractic Care Part 3

As you can see medicine has already recognized that changes in blood flow in key areas of the body (think brain and spinal cord) are related to a number of diseases. MS might just be one of those diseases. And if upper cervical chiropractors can really influence blood flow at this level, then we can see why upper cervical chiropractic is appropriate for MS patients.

Additional thoughts: If you have watched all three videos, you have learned that the NUCCA correction decreases the amount of venous outflow in the brain. One may then conclude that there is more blood perfusion total in the skull cavity, which may mean more nutrition for key areas of the nervous system. How this may relate to a breakdown of the myelin is anyone’s guess. One point is clear: we need money for more research.

Editor’s note: This guest post from Dr. Ian Bulow, Upper Cervical Doctor in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. You can read more about Dr. Bulow and his practice here.

Seizures in children and Upper Cervical Chiropractic

I started taking care of a little boy in the office last week. We will call him “Johnny” for the time being.

Johnny is 7 years old. To see him in the car next to you, you would think nothing of him. But to KNOW what he has been through is a different story.

Johnny came in to our office because a true friend of his mother told her to bring him in.

Johnny gets seizures.

I wonder what that must feel like for him not to have control of his body from time to time (20+ times a day when he first came in to my office.) I wonder what it must be like for a parent not to have control of their child. Not to be able to HELP them when they want to the most.

Maybe I don’t wonder about such things…why would I want to?

So now let me wonder about better things.

Johnny is doing much better now.

His mother took the advice of her true friend and brought Johnny in for an UPPER CERVICAL evaluation. Sure enough, Johnny has a lot of stress in the area of his brain stem. (He should. He was dropped on his head only a couple months before the seizures started, in addition to having a c-section birth).

One SPECIFIC UPPER CERVICAL ADJUSTMENT and Johnny is doing better than he has in MONTHS, and to date he is continuing to stabilize.

Now, who is to blame? An easy question to ask, but the wrong question for such a time. So, lets try again: Who is to thank?

Me? I don’t think so. I simply move the bone, God’s design does the healing. So let’s thank Him first.

Johnny’s mom? Without a question! In fact Johnny’s mom was told NOT to bring her in to my office by Johnny’s  primary care provider. But she did what she KNEW IN HER HEART was the right thing to do: SOMETHING DIFFERENT! (If you want a change in your life then guess what? Something has to CHANGE)

How about the friend of Johnny’s mom? Where would Johnny be today had his mother’s friend not shared what she KNEW about Upper Cervical Care? I dare not wonder such things.

Moral of today’s story:

I want to thank each and every one of you who has made a DIFFERENCE in the lives around you by letting them know about Upper Cervical health care. God does not NEED Upper Cervical doctors to get sick people well, but we sure like being used by Him from time to time. Please give me that gift this year. Please allow me to check those in your life that you feel need a second opinion, need some hope, need their health to be RESTORED.

I pray that you had a safe and wonderful New Year celebration. I pray that you are so incredibly blessed this year that you have no choice but to thank the Lord in everything you do.

God Bless,

Ian

Thanks to Dr. Ian for letting me share this story with you.

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!

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.

One generation is showing a strong interest in both wellness and prevention: the Baby Boomers.

In October 2008, the first Baby Boomer filed for social security. Everyday for the next 20 years, 10,000 Americans will become social security eligible. Everyone is watching this generation to see how they will influence America with their buying buyer. Many believe that natural markets, including alternative healthcare, will continue to grow with boomer interest.

What could be the link between the market for natural foods, natural fuels, and natural health? The answer is simple: a philosophy of prevention. Take  chiropractic care for example.

Chiropractic popular with older Americans

According to Ohio State University, 70% of retirees use alternative therapies, and chiropractic is often the first choice. The National Institute on Aging says half of older adults will go to the chiropractor. As the Baby Boomers age, many believe this trend will grow. Experts say that chiropractic is the second largest health care option after medicine, because of its natural approach to chronic health problems.

For many people, chiropractic is at the front lines of their natural healthcare.

Chiropractic recognizes the body is self-healing

While spinal adjustments by chiropractors may seem out of the ordinary to some, the ideas behind chiropractic are not. Chiropractors recognize that the human body is self-healing. Chiropractic credits all healing to the natural ability of the body, even if a doctor does help-out. As a hands-on form of healthcare, chiropractic is 100% drug-free and surgery free.

Chiropractors recognize that all body systems like the heart, lungs, and digestive system are important, but that they take their orders from the nervous system. This nerve system includes the brain, the spinal cord, and millions of nerve fibers that go to the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs. The nerve system is housed and protected in the spine.

Chiropractic prevention is important for Boomers

Chiropractors recognize that a healthy, mobile spine is important for overall health. Therefore many patients will continue chiropractic care once their health complaints improve. They do so for the same reason that they choose to eat natural foods, recycle, and drive fuel efficient vehicles. Addressing problems through prevention is often more effective than waiting for things to break down.

Will natural, preventative healthcare continue to grow like other natural choices? The signs are positive. Once retirement age approaches, the ability to work is highly dependent on health and mobility. We can expect the Baby Boomers to seek health and mobility as long as possible. That means natural options, especially chiropractic, are going to be important for quite some time.

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

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.