Adapted from: 3 Reasons Upper Cervical Care Isn’t New Age Medicine
by Dr. Tripp Stover
For those of you who are familiar with new age thinking, you will be familiar with the emphasis on positive thinking. Clearly it is better to think positively and focus on the good. In other-words, a thankful attitude is better than negative thinking. But, with new age spirituality, there is the belief that we shape and to a large extend, control our reality. One can see how important positive thinking would be if we actually control or significantly affect our own reality or the events that happen in our lives. Just think of how devastating it would be to think negatively! You might just bring the sky crashing down. This “power” we have is usually based on the idea that we are divine in some way; part of God, or a “little god.”
So how does this relate? Along these lines, much is made of the “mind-body” connection in new age health care. Mind over matter. If you believe, it will work. I often hear people say their belief in upper cervical care is a key ingredient to its effectiveness in their case. Although I believe a patient can sabotage recovery if they are not committed to care, I know upper cervical care will work even if someone is skeptical. The science behind it will work if we believe in it or not. Just like gravity. It will pull an object to the ground every time, no matter how hard we try to believe otherwise.
The point is that upper cervical care is based on science and it is well supported by scientific literature. One only needs to open up the book Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex: A Review of the Chiropractic and Medical Literature by Kirk Eriksen, D.C. and the follow up book by Eriksen and Roderic Rochester, D.C., Orthospinology Procedures: An Evidence Based Approach to Spinal Care to see how much science there is to support upper cervical care. These two books are current favorites of mine, but there are many others.
Another interesting point that refutes claims that one must believe in the care they are getting, and the benefits of care are more of a mind over matter placebo effect is the area of care for animals. A recent article talks about a doctor that sees animals as a major part of his practice. It’s not for everyone, and not for me though I’ve seen it work with my pets and the pets of a select few friends. The point is, an animal has no preconceived notions about what should or could happen. Or even that the doctor is there to help. So when an animal benefits, we know upper cervical care must be having a positive effect on physiology.
In summary, upper cervical care is not new age medicine or just a belief system because it works on animals. Sounds strange to say it like that. But it sure does take it out of the mind body area.
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