Upper Cervical Care: Helping Kids With Scoliosis

Can you Protect your Children from Scoliosis?

By Dr. Bill Davis

The Problem

“Scoliosis is a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine, or backbone. The spine has normal curves when looking from the side, but it should appear straight when looking from the front.” (see picture) www.emedicine.net According to WebMD “In about 80% of cases, the cause of scoliosis is not known.” 80%! Wow that is a lot! In 8/10 of the people who have been diagnosed with scoliosis or curvature in the spine the medical profession have no clue what causes it.

Generally, the scoliosis is found when a child is examined for scoliosis in middle school. But frequently scoliosis is undetected until adulthood. Regardless, the earlier the curvature can be found the better. If it is identified at 13 years of age and it is already 15 degrees…it would have been much better to find it at 7 years of age when it was 8 degrees don’t you think? Especially if the underlying cause can be corrected and the progression of the scoliosis can be stopped. Also the earlier the scoliosis is identified the more likely the condition can be reversed.

Scoliosis has psychological consequences as well as physical consequences. Self image can be negatively impacted, especially in the formative adolescent years. Scoliosis can be so mild that an untrained eye cannot see the curve, or it can be severe enough to cause deformity. Children are often made fun of as a result of these deformities.

The physical consequences are much worse though. People with scoliosis are a greater risk of developing heart problems, breathing problems, osteoporosis, accelerated disc degeneration and spinal pain, reproductive function and pregnancy problems can be just some of the consequences associated with untreated scoliosis.

The medical approach has 3 main strategies. Wait until it gets worse! Put a brace on the entire trunk for up to 23 hours a day! Or dangerous surgery! Doesn’t sound like fun to me! Which of these approaches gets to the underlying cause?…none of them? The medical approach is focused on the effects and not the cause obviously.

The Upper Neck Connection

Two medical doctors from Europe have done extensive research into upper neck problems in newborns and how that relates to the health of children. Dr. Gutmann was researching the connection all the way back to the 1960′s… in 1987 Dr. Gutmann published his research linking the upper neck to problems ranging from scoliosis to ear infections, torticollis, colic and many other common childhood conditions.
Dr. Biedermann also has published extensively on this subject and published his findings in 1992. Between the 2 medical researchers they have studied over 1000 newborns and have observed a very high incidence of upper cervical misalignments on x-ray. Gutmann found over 80% in his study had problems in the upper neck that needed to be addressed! Birth trauma was the most common cause. Forceps delivery, vacuum extraction and even just normal birthing methods with a woman flat on her back rather than in the standing position where gravity can work, can be an extremely traumatic experience for the head and neck of a newborn.

It is reported that within the general population the incidence of Scoliosis is about 2.5% or about 25 per 1000 people. However, that is only the people who are identified as having scoliosis and it only includes those that have a 10 degree curvature or more. A 7,8, or 9 degree scoliosis can still have dramatic affects on the health of a person’s spine and body. Also many individuals have no idea that they have a curvature in their spine until adulthood. I have seen patients in my office who are in their 60′s who were unaware of a 10-15 degree scoliosis!

If the weight of the head is not balanced over the spinal column due to accidents and injuries to the upper neck this can result in postural changes including head tilt, shoulder tilt, hips uneven, and leg imbalance. The earlier the child develops this upper neck misalignment the more likely it is for them to develop a scoliosis when they hit their growth spurt.

A Solution

Early detection is the key to stopping the progression and possibly correct the scoliosis completely. All children should be evaluated after birth and regularly thoroughout the childhood years for the presence of an upper neck misalignment that could start this process in their spine. If a curvature is detected than the misalignment should be corrected as soon as possible. If the scoliosis is already very advanced due to lack of evaluation, than the misalignment should still be corrected and maintained and postural exercises should be given in order to prevent future progression. The longer the curvature has been there the more likely it will be to not correct completely.

(Editor's note: Certainly some people, especially young people, who have head/neck misalignment and have it corrected will experience drastic improvements in scoliosis. However, please remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for scoliosis or any other condition, disease or symptom.)

Just How Does The Body Work?

How the Body Works

-Author Unknown

Most people have been led to believe eating nutritious foods (including supplements), drinking plenty of fluids, exercising regularly, sleeping well and having a clean air supply will keep you healthy.

Well ....

These things are a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle - but every function in your body is under the regulation and coordination of your nerve system, which must operate at 100% for optimal health.

The Nerve System Houses Your Brain Messages:

Think about it. Your brain isn't programmed to make you sick or diseased - ever. Each human brain and nerve system is totally 100% programmed for optimal health and wellness and will manifest this every time unless interfered with somewhere in the system. Your brain stores thousands of genetic coding far beyond our scientific understanding of the body.

Establishing an Uninterrupted Nerve Flow is a Major Key to Optimal Health:

Your brain is continuously producing vital messages which are brilliantly decoded into electrical impulses with the purpose of performing an important function in a specific place in your body. Millions of these messages are sent every second of your life passing from your brain to your body cells and equally important, from your body cells back to your brain. Anything that interrupts the proper flow of electrical impulses through your nerve system should set off loud beeping alarms in the body, but it often doesn't - usually not until a certain amount of damage has already been accumulated.

Take a moment, followed by a lifetime, to appreciate your body and your innate life force that controls all body functions. Periodic upper cervical care can contribute in a big way to maintaining your body balance and achieve optimal health.

Want More From Your Exercise? Try Upper Cervical Care

13 Benefits Of Upper Cervical Care: Part 6

Regular exercise is essential to maximum health and overall well being. Some insurance companies have financial incentives for their customers encouraging them to exercise. Some businesses provide facilities for their employees to exercise. They know that not only will there be less lost time because of sickness but when the employee is at work, he or she will be more alert and able to focus on their job tasks. They are beginning to realize something that many doctors have been saying for years, that the human body cannot be divided into the physical and the mental. Everything is related. The brain is an organ like the heart. If exercise is good for the heart, then it is good for the brain. If it helps the heart work better, it will also enable the brain to work better. Will exercise make the difference between having a heart attack and not having one? Authorities say that is a distinct possibility. Well then, it logically follows that it could make a difference between being able to use your brain effectively for the entire day rather than only three or four hours. Would that greater efficiency benefit you in your job? That also is a distinct possibility.

If exercise is that important (and it is), then it is equally important to consider things that significantly impact your exercise. Upper cervical care is such a thing. There are two ways in which upper cervical care directly affects your exercise. First, some people just do not have the energy to exercise. It is true that exercising regularly will enable your body to work better, which results in more energy, but it is difficult to break the negative cycle to get motivated to get up off the couch and exercise. Upper cervical care can enable your body to work better by removing interference in the nerve system. Often that is just enough motivation to allow you to get into a health routine. Upper cervical care can also help motivate you by helping you to understand more about the human body, what benefits it, and what does not. As you become more appreciative of the wisdom of the body that has the ability to take what you eat, as well as the exercise and the rest you get and make you all that you can be you cannot help but be motivated to take better care of your body.

Besides motivation, upper cervical care affects your exercise by a physiological factor. For your body to benefit from exercise to a maximum degree, you must have a good nerve supply. You could exercise the parts of a corpse and it would not be one bit stronger, healthier or have more tone to its muscles. It needs life to get any benefit at all. In order to get the maximum benefit, a body needs the maximum amount of life, that is a full supply of mental impulses flowing over the nerve system to all parts of the body. That can only occur to its maximum potential when you are free of nerve interference due to head/neck misalignment. A paralyzed person can have their muscles exercised and receive therapeutic movements but it will not benefit them because the vital life energy is not flowing over the nerves. Similarly, if the head and neck are misaligned, it can interfere with some of the vital mental impulses that enable an exercised muscle to get stronger. If you are going to exercise and you should, be sure to not waste your time and energy. Make sure your muscles have all the energy they need to maximize their potential. Consider periodic upper cervical care so that you get the most from your exercise program.

Upper Cervical Care And Your Options

Adapted from an article by Dr. Joseph Strauss

I. Ignore the symptoms or the disease

Simply do nothing about it and hope it will go away. In this case you would not seek Upper Cervical Care nor any other type of care. It seems like a poor option (and usually it is), however, most people choose this option most of the time in lieu of any professional care. The common cold is the best example. Many people will do nothing and just wait to "get better." What they are saying, in effect, is that they will ignore it and let the body "heal itself." It appears that deep down inside almost everyone understands this concept.

A. Ramifications

1. Positive - the condition may go away on its own and never return. This is possible whether it's the chicken pox, a cracked rib, the common cold or an ache or pain. You need to know that the body often is able to heal itself without the help of anyone.

2. Negative - the condition or disease may worsen. If it does, by the time you choose to do something about it, it may be too late. As well as cost you more of both your time and money.

II. Treat it medically or therapeutically

This is a commonly chosen option ranging from taking aspirin and on to physical therapy to "major" surgery. You need to know that this option is not available under Upper Cervical Care.

A. Ramifications

1. Positive-

a) The treatment may relieve the symptoms while the body heals itself or the cause is removed. e.g. headache caused by lack of sleep, aspirin relieves symptoms, night's sleep corrects cause.

b) The treatment may remove an interference to the healing process. e.g. iodine killing the microorganisms of a cut finger.

2. Negative-

a) The symptoms may be relieved while the cause is never addressed.

b) The treatment may cause irreparable harm or even death.

You need to know that in choosing this option, you may not necessarily know what the ramifications will be until they occur. Also you need to know that Upper Cervical Care does not make judgments regarding this option, nor provides it and that if a patient is to choose this option, the finest expert advice is a necessity.

III. Upper Cervical Care

A person choosing this option is saying, "I am going to have my spine checked and, if needed, adjusted and see if my body has the ability to heal itself.”

A. Ramifications

1. Positive - the body with a good nerve supply may be better able to heal itself than one without a good nerve supply. Many people do get well.

2. Negative – There are limitations of time and matter, which means that sometimes things have gone on for so long and the body is so damaged that not much healing can occur. You need to know that you are dealing with the symptoms of a medical problem and that Upper Cervical Care does not make judgments concerning medical problems. The decision to begin Upper Cervical Care and allow the body an opportunity to heal itself or to consider the possibility that the body is past limitations of time and matter and that another option is needed, is entirely up to you.

IV. Medical (therapeutic) care, and Upper Cervical Care

The objectives of both professions are different therefore both can take place coincidentally. This option is open from the beginning of care and at any time during the course of Upper Cervical Care.

A. Ramifications

1. Positive - These are the same as for medical care alone and Upper Cervical Care alone.

2. Negative - The same as medical care alone and Upper Cervical Care alone. However, there is an added negative ramification. Medication may interfere with the ability of the body to heal itself and the ability of the Upper Cervical Doctor to remove the interference.

Now you can make an educated choice.