Case Study: Chronic Neck Pain

By Dr. Jason Alder and his site Upper Cervical Studies

The purpose of this case study is to demonstrate the application of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) scan as an effective imaging method for highly specific upper cervical chiropractic corrections.

Patient History

A 38 year old male presented to the clinic with a chief complaint of neck pain that has persisted for the past 7-8 years. The pain was progressing and becoming intrusive in his desired lifestyle. The patient stated that when the pain is at it’s worst, it radiates into bilateral shoulders and arms.

The precipitating cause is unknown. However the patient did have a MVA 4-5 years prior to the onset of symptoms and has actively participated in soccer for the past 30 years and recalls several times that the symptoms have increased following games where the head was used to deflect the ball.

The patient listed several associated complaints including lightheadedness and loss of equilibrium causing the patient to stop his routine and rest until the spell has past.

The patient also describes headache symptoms of both a tension headache and classic migraine precipitated by alcohol use. Pt states 2 episodes/week. Family history includes similar symptoms of migraine headaches. There is also mid back pain localized to the thoracic/lumbar region that is most notable in the evening.

Patient utilizes pain medication to manage the neck and headache symptoms, which helps but the problem persists.

Chiropractic Exam

Flexion of the neck causes increased pain refereed to the shoulders and arms. There was a negative sharp purser orthopedic test. Left C1 – C4 point tenderness and inflammation nodules were found at the posterior lateral vertebral joints.

The patient had muscle tightness on the left side of the neck as well as multiple muscle spams of the right upper Trapezius and Levator scapulae.

Posture analysis concluded an elevated left head by 2 cm, even shoulders and a high right hip by 1 cm.

Leg length inequality check revealed a 2 cm right short leg with a positive right c2 challenge.

Cervical temperature pattern was established using a Titron thermographic instrument.

Imaging Analysis

Imaging was ordered utilizing a seated 3D CBCT unit. On Demand 3D software was used for the analysis of the images following a variation of the Blair x-ray analysis.

The Foramen Magnum/Spinal Canal study found a large right rotation of axis. This was confirmed on the 3D view. The simulated protracto views found a double posterior misalignment of atlas. An exceptionally “tilted” atlas was found on the posterior 3D view that is also observed on the frontal generated x-ray view.

Large right rotation of axis

Flat Plain line


The atlas appears to be tilted up on the right

Care

Upper cervical chiropractic care following the Blair corrective protocol was elected to correct this upper cervical misalignment. Following the first correction and a 20 min rest period the thermographic scan demonstrated a change. The leg length inequality was found to be normal. The patient commented that he felt a bilateral burning sensation in the lower leg region, following the Achilles tendon.

A follow up visit two days later found the burning sensation in the lower legs continued. Cervical thermographic scan and leg length inequality tests were performed and found to negative. This means that the scan was remarkable different from the pattern that was established prior to care and the legs that were found to be uneven before care were found equal after the initial adjustment and continue to be equal 2 days later. The patient also noted a decrease in neck symptoms.

In all, 4 upper cervical corrections were given in a 3 month period and the patient continued to improve. The patient experiences fewer and less severe episodes of lightheadedness and reports that the tension headaches have become an infrequent occurrence.

(Editor's note: 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 any condition, disease or symptom.)

Ulcerative Colitis and The Upper Cervical Procedure

Ulcerative Colitis (an Inflammatory Bowel Disorder), chronic neck pain, and headaches resolve after Upper Cervical specific care

By Dr. Blackketter
   

We are excited to share another upper cervical testimonial story on a case of chronic neck pain, headaches, and Ulcerative Colitis.
UC is an Inflammatory Bowel Disorder, or IBD. (Inflammatory Bowel Disorders have been called “autoimmune diseases” and they are not to be confused with a transient and less serious condition called Irritable Bowel Syndrome, IBS, or spastic colon). Crohn’s Disease (CD), aka regional enteritis, is another IBD like Ulcerative Colitis. In fact, Crohn’s and UC are so similar that sometimes the medical diagnosis is UC or CD or even the vague, Indeterminate Colitis.

All of these fancy words basically mean the same thing:
“Your colon is inflamed, sick, and not functioning properly.”
What a serious mess, literally. This dys-function, or dis-ease if you will, is very painful, inconvenient and troublesome for the afflicted, and messy…Whew!!

Back to our amazing case study. It is really a testimony of the recuperative healing power of the body.

Watch the video in her own words, and read about how this young woman suffered with an awful medical condition for many years. She had no hope until she experienced the life-changing results of our vitalistic upper cervical specific chiropractic approach to healthcare!



It started back in 1994 while in nursing school. She was originally told she had a colon condition or “functional bowel disorder” called IBS, and that it was stress and food related.

But in 2001 after a snowboarding accident which gave her a concussion, her signs and symptoms escalated to the point where she needed a colonoscopy (endoscope of lower GI tract). Through biopsies she was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis.

While pregnant with her 2nd child in 2003, she had a severe flareup of the UC symptoms and was hospitalized for a week. At that time they diagnosed her with Megacolon – a very serious condition – and told her that if she “ever went off of the extremely high dose of Asacol that she would end up with a colostomy!”

Her doctors did not connect the IBD or any of her health problems with the trauma, but said, “UC is a chronic disease whose precise etiology (cause) is still unknown. Take these pills and we’ll run regular scopes of your colon to monitor its condition.”

Fast forward to 2013:

12 years after the snowboarding concussion, this 38 year old female came into our office…she was still sick and still in pain.

Her original complaints were “daily chronic debilitating neck pain (for at least 9 years), also constant headaches in the back of her skull, as well as pain in the R shoulder, and middle & lower back.”

Living with the pain affected her sleeping, daily activities, and mood. She reported feeling irritable, mentally agitated, unable to focus, and depressed.

During the consultation she mentioned taking medication for depression and ulcerative colitis, in addition to some anti-inflammatory pain pills.

I told her we need to “correct the cause” of her problems rather than continue “treating symptoms” with prescription medication and physical therapy. She agreed…because these drugs and therapies were not fixing her problem, and she “didn’t want to continue going through life like a walking pharmacy!”

Prior to coming to see us, her new gastroenterologist was very concerned about the awful condition of her colon. She was questioned about the massive amount of medication she was using to deal with the symptoms. It was described as an aggressive dosage usually only taken at those levels for extreme acute flare ups of UC and “during the initial treatment phase of the disease, but not for long term maintenance.”

We found the problem was in her upper neck. She had tension & inflammation at the level of the brain stem resulting from a significant spinal misalignment (subluxation) between her neck and the base of her skull. We ran thermography scans, analyzed her posture, did leg checks, palpated the spine, and took the Blair upper cervical films.

The x-rays showed evidence of injury to the spine from a head and neck trauma.

She was adjusted using the Blair upper cervical specific technique. The vertebral segments involved were the Atlas and Axis (1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae in the upper neck).

There was no popping, no twisting, no cracking, and no traction on the spine. This conservative approach to correct the spine is a vector-based adjustment by hand which is formulated from precision x-rays. Specific Chiropractors customize each person’s adjustment for each individual’s unique anatomy.

Even though we performed an upper cervical adjustment only, her entire spine and nerve system AND digestive tract responded and immediately began to heal and function better.
After a short time she reported: “I’m feeling incredibly normal.”

No pain.

She was now able to sleep through the night, sit up straight, drive, and work without pain.
Thinking clearly was another great benefit!

A huge surprise was NO more colon symptoms. “I’m NOT constantly running to the bathroom anymore!”

Normal digestive and bowel function returned for the first time in many years.
No more medication for the colitis!!

And she reduced her depression medication by one-half at first and now (May 2013) she is only taking 1/4 of her depression meds and doing well!

Click here to read more of her story

(Editor's note: 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 any condition, disease or symptom.)

Car Crashes, Vertigo, Migraines and Upper Cervical Care

More Research Linking Migraine Headaches, Vertigo and Car Crashes

A recent case study from the Blair upper cervical chiropractic group reveals additional evidence linking head and neck trauma to migraine headaches and vertigo.  This case study is another example of what the upright MRI research is revealing. 

Here’s a quote from Dr. Lenarz’s case report: 

A 54 year-old female patient entered the office with complaints of migraines 1-2 times per week and extreme chronic neck pain and vertigo for the past 10 years. She was injured in a motor vehicle accident ten years prior to her first visit in our office.  The patient was seen 19 times over a period of 12 weeks. She received 3 upper cervical corrections during this time. The patient reported having 1 migraine 2 weeks after the first correction. Since that time, she has reported no migraine episodes, neck pain or vertigo.

Dr. Scott Rosa, upper cervical chiropractor from New York has been doing some amazing research with upright MRIs.  He’s been able to show that when someone has a misalignment in the upper neck it is actually changing the flow of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) to, from and through the brain.  CSF is the fluid that lubricates the brain and spinal cord.  This research is helping scientists to explain the results upper cervical chiropractors are seeing in their offices every day.

The upright MRI technology can show the obstruction at the first few bones in the neck and how this misalignment causes a backup of CSF and increased intracranial pressure. When the misalignment is corrected by an upper cervical procedure such as NUCCA, the studies show that the pressure decreases by 28.6%!  And the CSF flow becomes normal.

These changes in CSF, blood flow and intracranial pressure are likely linked to the results upper cervical chiropractors see with migraine patients and several other conditions, especially after a history of head or neck trauma.

(Editor's note: 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 any condition, disease or symptom.)

The Patient with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

Upper cervical care for patient with complex regional pain syndrome

Lauren Millman, D.C. Bio Thomas Forest, D.C. Bio Todd Hubbard, D.C., M.S. Bio

J Upper Cervical Chiropr Res. 2012 Oct;10:85-91

Objective: To review the effectiveness of care using a specific upper cervical technique in the case of a 10-year-old male patient with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

Clinical Features: This case report describes the changes in subjective pain and weight bearing following specific upper cervical care of a 10-year-old boy with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Intervention: Upon initial examination, indications of uppercervical subluxation were evident, based upon radiographic findings, thermography, and leg length inequality. Care utilizing a specific upper cervical technique protocol (Blair upper cervical technique) was administered in order to correct the upper cervical subluxation.

Outcome: Although still an ongoing case, the following report is a detailed 10-month record of this 10-year-old boy’s response to his upper cervical technique, including a decrease in symptoms associated with CRPS Type 1, noting them as less frequent, of less duration and decreased severity.

Conclusion: Due to the marked and timely improvement of this patient, this case report exhibits the need for further investigation into the use of a non-invasive, light-force, cost-effective, and highly specific approach to correcting upper cervical subluxations which have an effect on this condition and potentially similar cases.

(Editor's note: 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 any condition, disease or symptom.)