Off-Label Uses For Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

by Dr. Adam Tanase

(Editor's note:  This post again comes from my good friend and colleague, Dr. Adam Tanase.  His perspective on this topic is interesting and I think will serve to help more people understand the potential uses of Chiropractic care more easily.) 

Medical physicians commonly use Botox, a medication intended to treat wrinkles, on patients with headaches. They also give Singular, an adult asthma/allergy drug, to children with atopic dermatitis. This practice is called "off-label prescribing" and it’s so common that the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality estimated 20% of all prescriptions are written for off-label use.

Since this now happens on a daily basis, it doesn’t really shock anyone. Plus, it’s perfectly legal. What you might be surprised to find out, however, is that (upper cervical) chiropractic care has off-label uses of its own.

If you have generalized back or neck pain, (upper cervical) chiropractic adjustments are very helpful. This type of pain relief could be considered an "on-label" reason for seeking the assistance of a chiropractor. But what about the patients who don’t have back or neck pain, and elect to receive care for relief from other conditions? Examples may include constipation, dizziness, or TMJ.

Believe it or not, (upper cervical) chiropractic offices across the world are filled with patients receiving these "off-label" benefits. That’s why you might hear chiropractors discussing how they’ve been able to help patients with psoriasis or IBS. To outsiders, this can seem like complete quackery. And while I would consider it irresponsible for chiropractors to advertise a "cure" for these conditions, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a hoax. Some people with non-musculoskeletal conditions really do respond well to (upper cervical) chiropractic care.

In fact, just yesterday, two of my patients expressed how they can immediately feel their sinuses open up after getting an upper cervical adjustment. Now, both of them originally came to see me for "on-label" reasons – neck pain and upper back stiffness. I didn’t attempt to diagnose either of them with any sort of sinus issue, nor did I ever tell them that the adjustments would help sinus congestion. Moreover, neither one mentioned sinus irritation being a concern when we first met. But now, they each come back as needed for an "off-label" benefit (improved sinus function), as well as typical relief from back/neck pain.

Why does this happen? The answer is fairly simple: Our bodies function better with a strong and balanced spine that moves properly.

I invite you to consult with a reputable chiropractor in your area so that you too may experience the "off-label" benefits of (upper cervical) chiropractic care.

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.)

Want Optimal Health? Check out Upper Cervical Care

If you are looking for optimum health, look into upper cervical chiropractic.

From painfreechristina.com

If you are wanting to enhance your well being ask yourself this question, Is your body in balance? If you suffer from backaches, headaches, acid reflux, digestive issues, rheumatoid arthritis, bronchial asthma, depression symptoms, vertigo, or also regular joint pain, possibilities are, you are out of alignment and struggling from an imbalance in your system. Upper cervical care is a highly specialized form of chiropractic care that focuses only on the top two vertebrate in the neck, the atlas and the axis. If these turn out to be misaligned due to stress, an incident, or also simply as a outcome of your lifestyle itself, your body can turn out to be misaligned and out of balance. One shoulder may sit higher than another, or your legs may be somewhat different lengths.

This misalignment commences to put pressure on the nerves in the craniocervical junction, the one element of the body in which the backbone and the crucial nervous system are attached. This pressure can lead to a variety of physical symptoms, which includes backaches, headaches, and joint pain. More significant difficulties can additionally develop, which includes fibromyalgia, sciatica pain, irritable bowel affliction, and migraines.

Upper cervical care seeks to re-establish your body’s natural communication system and allow your body to tap into its innate potential to heal by itself. An upper cervical doctor will not twist or power the neck back into alignment, but will strive to lightly correct a misalignment. The adjustment will likely need to be repeated on a number of occasions over the subsequent weeks and months till the particular person’s body is capable of keeping the realignment on its own.

Upper cervical care alone does not heal the body; the upper cervical realignment simply allows the body’s nervous system to talk effectively in between mind and body. This allows the body to perform as it was effortlessly meant to do, in the end healing itself.

(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.)

Upper Cervical Care?...What is that?

What is Upper Cervical Care?

By Dr. Eddie Weller

Upper cervical care is a strict discipline of Chiropractic that focuses on the upper most portion of the spine called the cervical spine. This vital area is where the brain and spinal cord meet forming the brain stem.  The brain stem is protected by a vertebra called the ATLAS or cervical vertebrae #1. This small, 2 oz ring-like vertebra is not only responsible for keeping your head on top of your spine, but more importantly, it protects the brain stem at the base of your skull. Upper Cervical doctors focus on this area because just about every nerve in our spine originates at the base of the skull. Most of us would agree that our body was divinely created, and our brain was programmed to send life to the body via the nerve system. If the top vertebra in your spine misaligns, healthy nerve signals from your brain get distorted by compromising your nerve system. This compromised nerve system is the precursor to the body malfunctioning. In time, sickness or disease will ensue.

“What types of conditions are seen?”

There are thousands of titles that man has given the body due to the symptoms that it presents when not functioning properly. I have seen conditions from Headaches to Herniated discs, Colic to Cancers, Reflux to Respiratory issues, Spinal fusions to Scoliosis, and from ADHD to IBS. Regardless of the condition, how long, or the severity of the condition, everyone benefits by having an optimum functioning nerve system.

“What is a good age to begin having my spine checked for upper cervical subluxation?”

Clients range from a few hours old to the elderly. Infants frequently experience birth trauma, toddlers are constantly falling and bumping their head, children play sports and fall off their bicycles, swings, etc. Just about everything we do in life causes some form of stress to our body. Physical, chemical or emotional stressors compromise our nerve system and cause our body to begin to break down. Regardless of one’s age or health condition, everyone benefits from having their nervous system functioning optimally. The upper cervical spinal correction is gentle, precise and tailor-made per each particular spine. At no time will your spine be twisted, popped or snapped, thus making it safe for your entire family.

“Is Upper Cervical Care compatible with my existing healthcare?”

Yes! Restoring nerve and spinal function is consistent with all healthcare options. We encourage you to continue to consult with any of your other healthcare providers to coordinate with your upper cervical doctor for optimum recovery and maintenance. At no time will upper cervical care interfere with any of your healthcare choices. In fact, upper cervical care will only enhance your healing abilities.

Want Better Digestion? Try Upper Cervical Care

13 Benefits Of Upper Cervical Care: Part 12

“One man’s meat is another man’s poison” is an old saying that still conveys a lot of truth. Why is it that some people can eat anything, while others complain that just about everything disagrees with them. We can solve the problem by just avoiding particular foods or food groups. Yet, while that may ease the discomfort, it does not resolve the problem. Most likely the body is still not functioning as it should. Perhaps much of the difficulty in people’s lives results from constantly avoiding or ignoring little problems or covering them up with medication, while the cause of the body functioning incorrectly is never addressed. If the body cannot digest a certain food and you do not eat that food, you are symptom free. But that does not resolve the problem. There is something wrong in your digestive system and if not corrected, it will create problems later in life. If your car shakes and has abnormal vibrations when you get up to speeds of 60 MPH would it be wise to keep your speed below 60 and ignore checking into the cause of the problem? Of course not. You may damage your car or endanger your life. Ignoring certain foods and not trying to find out why your digestive system is not working properly pretty much amounts to the same thing.

The digestive system is one of the most delicately balanced systems in the body. Think about all the different types of food we eat. Did you know it takes a different type of chemical substance to digest all of the different types of food? Sugars, fats and proteins all require different chemicals to be digested and assimilated. On top of that, we usually put them all in the body at the same time! Somehow our bodies know which chemicals work on which foods and how much is needed for the proper digestion of each. When our bodies are working properly, the innate wisdom of the body produces these chemicals exactly as needed. When you realize that digestion in the stomach necessitates highly corrosive hydrochloric acid and yet the stomach lining is protected from being burned, you have to be in awe of our fantastic bodies.

Suppose the cells that produce the protective coating for the stomach were not working as they should. Messages from the brain over the nerve system are needed to produce that protective coating as well as to produce the right amount of acid at the right time. Every function of digestion, whether in the mouth, the stomach, the intestines or anywhere in between, necessitates chemical production which in turn necessitates mental impulses from the brain. If there is an interference to these mental impulses, the body will not and cannot work as it should. That interference can occur with head/neck misalignment. Digestion and assimilation of food is necessary for life and health. Proper digestion and assimilation is vital to a healthy and productive life. Help keep your digestive system working at its maximum by being under upper cervical care.

Upper Cervical Care and The Larger Picture

Adapted from the article, "Chiropractic: Health care concerned with the well-being of human kind, Mind, Body, and Spirit"

Upper Cervical Care is based on the absolute science that every function in the human body is directed and coordinated by the nervous system. It is through this science that we know without a doubt that the body is a self healing and self regulating organism that knows how to heal itself from inside the same way it knew how to grow you from 2 cells into over two trillion cells in 9 months! The Power that made the body heals the body! The body heals itself through the communication of the nervous system. It will do this as long as there is no interference.

The upper cervical doctors primary goal is to help the body tap into this amazing, internal healing wisdom by removing interferences to the nervous system called "Subluxations", which result from head neck misalignment. The result of Subluxations is diminished function and communication. For some this may result in Headaches, in others it is Back Pain, others Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Asthma. In children Subluxations may reduce your resistence to Ear infections. If a Subluxation is left uncorrected it can affect the structure and function of the joints of the spine, and thus contribute to Scoliosis, or the cycle of Spinal Arthritis.

Subluxations like Viruses, can happen at anytime. They can be caused by Repetitive Strain injury, Sports Injuries, Prolonged Sitting at a desk or computer or Long Drives and more. Stress and the physical tension it creates can Subluxate the spine. Many Subluxations however are caused in childhood and show up as problems later in life. Learning to walk and falling, bumping the spine can cause Subluxations, and many times the Birth Trauma, of the delivery pulling on the neck or forceps can cause lifetime spinal problems.

Only Upper Cervical Doctors are trained to detect and correct head neck misalignment with a specific upper cervical correction, thus removing the nerve interference and restoring proper function of the spine. Upper Cervical Care is for all ages and a healthy spine and nervous system is a priority today, for healthier tomorrows.

Organic Disease and Upper Cervical Care

Excerpt from:
Autism, Asthma, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Strabismus, and Illness Susceptibility:
A Case Study in Chiropractic Management.
As Published in the Journal Today’s Chiropractic; Vol 27, No 5: 32-47

Pathologies of organic origin are commonly thought to be the exclusive realm of medical treatment and not part of the mainstay of chiropractic care. The clinical observations of a patient presenting with autism, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, strabismus, and illness susceptibility are reported. Alleviation of symptoms is seen subsequent to corrections of abnormal biomechanical function of the occipito-atlanto-axial complex. A relationship between biomechanical faults in the upper cervical spine and the manifestation of abnormal central neurophysiological processing is suggested as the genesis of this patient’s symptomatology.

The most important factor in this case was our ability to objectively monitor the adjustment’s affects on the patient’s neurophysiology. Many different types of tests are used in our profession such as leg length, cervical challenge, motion and static palpation, and others. However, these tests lack objectivity, posses inherent errors, and have no literature confirmation of their ability to monitor neurophysiology. Digital infrared imaging, however, has been researched for over 30 years compiling almost 9,000 peer-reviewed and indexed articles confirming its use as an objective measure of neurophysiology. By using this technology, our clinic has been able to consistently determine the correct adjustive procedures that produce reproducible and dramatic positive neurophysiological improvements in our patients.

If the foundation of our profession stands on the principle that homeostasis is dependent upon coordinated neurophysiology, then we must directly and objectively monitor this system as an outcome measure to our care. But not any way of monitoring this system will suffice. We need to measure the autonomic nervous system if we are to monitor the global systemic aspect of the nervous system’s control. Paraspinal digital infrared imaging fulfills this need by objectively measuring the autonomic changes of all 32 spinal nerves as they exit to effect deep visceral function. Since testing does not involve patient compliance, such as movement or a verbal response, paraspinal infrared imaging becomes as objective a test of neurophysiology as we can get.

To what magnitude the upper cervical spine is involved in the genesis of organic conditions remains to be seen. In an atmosphere where much of the public see our profession as useful for neck and back pain treatment at most, patients with complex disorders are left unaware of the possible benefits of care. The body of literature detailing a possible upper cervical etiology, or at least contribution, to organic disorders is substantial. Further research into this area of the spine, combined with objective monitoring of neurophysiology, may reveal that chiropractic does indeed offer consistent conservative management of complex visceral disorders.