Why Travel 4,646 Miles for Upper Cervical Care?

by Alison

4646 miles is how far it is from Boulder to Norway. A recent patient of mine, Sigmund, traveled here from Norway because they do not have Upper Cervical Chiropractic where he is from. Sigmund has been dealing with pain, numbness, and headaches for 8 years. He has tried everything to get the pain to stop, but he has only received temporary relief. His friend, Monica, searched the web for neck trauma treatments and found our site. Sigmund had been suffering for so long that he was willing to try almost anything to be able to go back to work and have fun with his wife and children without the fear of pain.

Sigmund booked a flight to Colorado for his first trip to the United States. He underwent the initial exam and received his first adjustment. He came to the office everyday while he was here for checkups. When Sigmund went home, he was so grateful and excited to go on his family vacation because he was without pain for the first time in 8 years. He also set up an appointment with his boss to see if he could start to come back to work full time.

Here in the U.S., I hear all kinds of reasons why people don’t have time for care, or they live too far to come in for treatment, yet others travel incredible distances and will do anything to take control of their health. The last thing Sigmund said to me before he went back home is, "I wish everyone knew about this care, and the people in the United States are so lucky that there are clinics here."

(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.)

Heart Rate Variability And Other Symptoms Improve With Upper Cervical Care

 In the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, a study was published on May 9, 2013, documenting a positive change in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as well as a variety of other symptoms in a series of three different patients. HRV is used to measure the variation in beats of the heart. Since this is controlled by the nervous system, HRV is a good indicator of nerve system function.

The authors of this study relate the measurement of HRV to vertebral subluxation of the spine. The authors postulate that since subluxations cause interference to nerve system function, the effects of subluxations should be noted in HRV readings. In addition to the HRV, bilateral heat readings along the spine were used to establish a "pattern" by which to measure change or improvement.

In this study, three separate patients were documented while under (upper cervical) chiropractic care. The first case was of a 35-year-old male truck driver with right shoulder and neck pain that radiated into the right arm and forearm. He also had numbness in his right hand. He had been suffering with these problems for 10 years. A chiropractic examination revealed an upper neck subluxation, and a course of specific correction was initiated.

The second case was of a 67-year-old woman who was diagnosed with hypertension one year earlier. The patient stated that medication was ineffective. Her blood pressure at the time of the examination was 156/100. Her chiropractic examination also revealed subluxation in the upper neck and specific care for correction of her subluxation was initiated.

The third patient was a 42-year-old woman suffering with constant pain from between the shoulders down to her hips. She was also suffering from fatigue, loss of sleep, nervousness, difficult digestion, and constipation. A chiropractic examination also revealed the presence of subluxations for which specific adjustments were given.

In all three of these cases HRV was used to monitor the effects of the subluxation correction. Bilateral heat readings were also used to establish a heat pattern for each patient. In all three of these cases the HRV and the heat readings improved along with significant improvement in the symptoms that each of the patients experienced.

In their conclusion the researchers noted, "In these three cases, there appears to be a relationship between the improvements in bilateral skin temperature pattern analysis and heart rate variability following an upper cervical chiropractic technique. It is feasible that upper cervical chiropractic care can have a positive effect on the autonomic nerve system and there may be a connection between pattern reduction and improved heart rate variability."

(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.)
 

Four Upper Cervical Testimonials

from uppercervicalflorida.com

High Blood Pressure

I was very stressed and had neck pain, as well as high blood pressure (180 / 120) and a high pulse rate of 105 beats / min. After the first adjustment my blood pressure dropped to 130/80, and my pulse rate dropped to 75. I do not feel stressed anymore- I feel great! My husband said that I looked 10 years younger when I got home after the 1st adjustment. Amazing stuff! Thank you guys!!!

-Meli S.


Numbness, Trouble Walking

I could not get into bed or dress myself after falling in the snow during Christmas. After an adjustment in early January I could feel my left side pain receding and the numbness in my left arm disappearing. I could dress myself and bend over again. I have been walking a mile on the ocean trail every day since the adjustment.

-Christine S.


Fibromyalgia / Chronic Fatigue

I came to the Upper Cervical Health Centers of America in Juno Beach, Florida after more than six months of extreme fatigue, severe body pain and weakness, and decreased mental focus and clarity. As a normally healthy and physically active person, as well as a student and a dancer, these symptoms greatly interfered with my lifestyle and affected me physically, mentally and emotionally. I no longer had any energy to spend time with friends and family, concentrate on my studies or enjoy my regular daily activities. I had seen a number of medical doctors, all of whom gave me different diagnoses and different prescriptions; none of which provided any relief. In fact, my symptoms grew worse. Frustrated and confused, I came to Dr. Alli Manis and Dr. Kevin Davine. When meeting with them, they took the time to educate me about Upper Cervical Care and its benefits. In their care, I have found relief of my symptoms as well as improved overall health. I feel better now than I did before my symptoms appeared! I am grateful for their work, as well as their passion in helping everyone achieve true health and wellness.

-Amanda D.


Severe Back and Neck Pain

Several years ago my pain in my neck and back became so severe that I could not go to work or play golf. As with most people, I visited local doctors and hospitals in hopes of getting better. No improvement. Next step was visiting The Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Still no Improvement. I then heard of Upper Cervical Health Care. After 3 weeks of adjustments, I returned to a normal life. FULLY RECOVERED! To me, a miracle. I now use Drs. Manis and Davine and fully endorse their work.

-John Traub, PGA Golf Professional

(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 of the above conditions, diseases or symptoms.)

Sciatica and Upper Cervical Care

(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with the proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for sciatica or any other condition or disease.)

Sciatic Pain in both legs and the Upper Neck?

by Dr. William R. Davis Jr., D.C.

Sciatica that affects both legs (bilateral) is slightly less common than one sided (unilateral) sciatic nerve pain. Either leg can be affected individually or both together at once. Bilateral symptoms have a reputation as being a highly variable pain process and most patients demonstrate pain, tingling, weakness or numbness throughout wide ranging areas of the lower back, buttocks, legs and feet.

Being an upper cervical chiropractor many people cannot understand how I can get such good results with lower back and leg pain. But the truth is one of the most common conditions that I see in my practice is lower back pain with or without leg pain or sciatica.

So what does the neck have to do with the lower back and legs?

Upper neck misalignments (can) cause the posture of the body to be altered. Accidents and injuries to the head and neck will tear loose the tissue that holds the spine in place which will create a weakness and allow the spine to break down and lock into a stressed position.

The most movable bone in the body is located at the base of the skull and is called the Atlas. When the Atlas has lost it’s normal position the weight of the head is shifted to one side or the other.

Once this shift has taken place the body will begin to compensate. One of the shoulders will typically become lower and the pelvis will distort in order to compensate for lack of balance in the upper neck.

This Functional Pelvic Distortion is the underlying factor in many sciatic cases. This twisting and tilting of the pelvis causes a tethering on the sciatic nerve or nerves, inflammation and muscle spasms in most cases.

Here is an example from my office just last month.

Jim had lower back pain for years and was seeking help for severe degenerative disc disease in the lower back from a spinal decompression center in the area. After receiving the spinal decompression treatment his lower back pain increased and eventually he began getting intense sciatica down both legs.

He was referred to our office by a friend and came in quite sceptical that an upper cervical correction could help his lower back and legs. But at the encouragement of his friend he decided to give it a shot.

He had a history of severe head and neck traumas including several concussions and a auto racing crash at 145 mph.

He was assessed and found to have significant postural problems originating from the upper neck. His head and neck were markedly off to the right side and his pelvis was severely tilted and twisted 3 degrees from level. His thermographic scans showed severe inflammation in the upper neck and lower back.

He had lower back pain mostly on the left side and leg pain from the buttock to the foot on the left and sporadically on the right as well. He also had numbness and tingling on both sides worse in the feet.

He noticed if he moved his head back into extension it would increase the leg pain.

He was barely walking, could not sit for more than 5 minutes and was taking 4 Codeines and 12 Advil per day!

His x-rays showed significant disc degeneration in the lower back and neck and a very complicated and unstable upper cervical misalignment.

We began working on him and results were slow because of the instability of his misalignment. Once he began to hold his correction and the pressure remained off of the nerves for prolonged periods of time, his pain began slowing improving. A 30% reduction in the pain and the majority of the numbness in the legs was gone in the first month. He is in his second month now and his corrections are holding better and better. His hips stay level for weeks at a time and now he is completely off of the pain pills and able to sit for long periods of time again and his pain has gone from a constant 10/10 pain to a sporadic 3/10 pain that has localized to one leg. He and his wife just left on a week long cruise and he is very happy!

I never did any treatment on his lower back! I only corrected the underlying postural problems in the spine that were causing the lower back pain and the sciatica. By balancing out the head and the neck the pelvis is able to stay level and the pressure stays off the nerves.

Who do you know that has recurring lower back pain or sciatica? Who do you know that is considering surgery, decompression, injections or other overpriced and dangerous options?

The best questions to ask to see if upper cervical chiropractic could help you is…

Have you had head or neck traumas in the past?

Do you have obvious postural issues? Head tilts to one side, shoulders uneven, etc.

The results that I see are common in upper cervical offices. If you google upper cervical and sciatica you will see many of the patients who have been helped with sciatica across the country.

To find out if upper cervical chiropractic is right for you go to www.nuccawellness.com, www.nucca.org or www.upcspine.com and find a doctor in your area today.

Multiple Sclerosis and Upper Cervical Care: Case 5

Editor's Note: This is the sixth of a seven post series where I will be sharing five case reports on patients with MS that received upper cervical care and the results that occurred. The full article with all the reports can be read at length here.

CASE 5

History: This 43-year-old female first experienced symptoms of MS seven years ago. The symptoms included numbness in her legs, hands, and face, and lasted for two weeks. No further symptoms occurred until six years later with the onset of L'hermitte's Sign. Soon after L'hermitte's Sign began, this patient noticed loss of grip strength and a spasmodic curling of her left hand. After an MRI, she was diagnosed with MS. Because Lhermitte's Sign was present every time she nodded her head causing her pain, she began daily pain medications (neurontin). After the symptoms were constantly present for six months, she began upper cervical care.

Exam: During her initial (upper cervical) chiropractic exam, cervical flexion produced L'hermitte's Sign. Cervical extension and left rotation were reduced and painful. She reported constant tingling in her left arm, grip strength loss in her left hand, and weakness and pain in both forearms. She experienced aggravation of forearm pain while taking notes in class. As an avid martial arts participant, she expressed concern over her inability to perform push-ups in class due to exacerbation of L'hermitte's Sign. She also reported experiencing dizzy spells several times per day for many years. Cervical radiographs depicted right laterality of atlas. Computerized thermal imaging revealed thermal asymmetries of 0.5ºC.

Outcome: After the first upper cervical adjustment, this patient noted reduction in intensity of L'hermitte's Sign. By the end of two weeks of care, L'hermitte's Sign was noticeable only occasionally and no dizzy spells had occurred. After four weeks of care, this patient no longer reported experiencing any dizzy spells, arm pain, tingling, forearm weakness, or L'hermitte's Sign. Consequently, she reduced her pain medication dosage. In addition, she resumed taking notes in class and performing pushups in her martial arts class without pain or tingling.

Summary: This subject's symptoms were present constantly for six months prior to upper cervical care. With the intervention of (upper cervical) chiropractic care, symptoms were reversed either immediately or over one month's time.

Upper Cervical Care and MS: Case 1

Editor's Note: This is the second of a seven post series where we will be sharing five case reports on patients with MS that received upper cervical care and the results that occurred. The full article with all the reports can be read at length here.

CASE 1

History: This 54-year-old female was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 44 after a bout of optic neuritis, which prompted an MRI (MS plaques were visible). Over the next nine years, she experienced a minimum of one exacerbation per year lasting an average of one month. She recovered completely each time except for partial vision loss resulting from optic neuritis. The most recent flare-up occurred at age 53 when she experienced numbness that switched from side-to-side in her body. With this exacerbation, no remission occurred. Symptoms included tingling in her arms, hands, legs, and feet as well as a positive L'hermitte's Sign (pain, numbness, tingling down extremities upon cervical flexion). After these symptoms were present for three months, this subject's neurologist surmised her condition was worsening and recommended drug therapy. Due to her concerns over long-term drug use, this patient chose to undergo upper cervical chiropractic care first.

Exam: During her initial chiropractic examination, this subject showed reduced sensitivity bilaterally in her arms, hands, legs, and feet. L'hermitte's Sign was present during cervical flexion and right lateral flexion compression was positive. The subject reported experiencing these symptoms constantly for the three months prior to her chiropractic exam. Cervical ranges of motion were reduced during left lateral bending and left rotation. She reported visual loss from previous optic neuritis episodes. Computerized thermal imaging showed thermal asymmetries as high as 1.0 ºC. Analysis of cervical radiographs revealed left laterality and left anterior rotation of atlas.

Outcome: Immediately following this subject's first upper cervical adjustment, Lhermitte's Sign was no longer present. During the following week, normal sensation returned to her extremities. After two weeks of upper cervical care, cervical ranges of motion no longer produced pain and cervical compression tests were negative. At the end of week four, this patient reported improved vision in her left eye (which had been damaged by the episode of optic neuritis ten years earlier). After four weeks of upper cervical care, this subject's neurologist reexamined her and no longer recommended drug therapy. Two years after beginning upper cervical care, this subject remained symptom-free.

Summary: This patient experienced a minimum of one relapse per year for the ten years prior to upper cervical care. After upper cervical intervention, two years passed without reoccurrence of symptoms.

Pain, Suffering And Upper Cervical Care

What are Your Symptoms Telling You?

by Dr. Tanase

My car has an unnerving ability to scare the bejesus out of me with it’s monitoring system.

It emits a piercing 2-second tone whenever I’m within 50 miles or less of needing to refill the gas tank. The same thing happens when the tire pressure drops, a tail light goes out, or when it’s time for an oil change. Basically, this tone will sound if anything malfunctions, prompting me to have it inspected. It won’t “go away” until I address the issue that triggered the warning tone.

While not every car on the road has this feature, every person reading this article does. You see, our bodies are designed with their own sophisticated warning systems. They’re called symptoms.

For some reason (convenience?), a lot of patients and doctors aren’t overly concerned with why the symptoms are present – they just want them to go away. One of the marvelous accomplishments of Modern Medicine is how they’ve created drugs and treatments that are really good at controlling these symptoms… Unfortunately, it’s almost always temporary. On top of that, serious complications or side-effects can result.

I’ve developed an acronym that represents how Americans view SYMPTOMs:
Something You Merely Patch, Treat, Or Mask.

What if I applied the typical medical approach of symptom-treating to the monitoring system in my car? Well, if I really didn’t want to hear the annoying sound, I could just drive around with noise-canceling headphones over my ears. If you’ve ever tried on a pair, you’d know how easily the “symptom” can be masked by these headphones.

But would that be a very good idea? If all I did was treat my car’s symptom, I’d inevitably run out of gas, get a flat tire, or witness my engine explode. Not good problems to have…

The same holds true for your health. Your body has all sorts of different warning indicators. Headaches, fatigue, dry-mouth, joint pain, numbness/tingling, constipation, and fever are just a few examples. Yes, they’re annoying and inconvenient, but that’s the point! They’re prompting you to take action and fix the problem.

You can choose to patch, treat, or mask these symptoms temporarily, but your body will eventually give out if you continue to neglect what triggered them in the first place.

Now’s a great time to start listening to your body. What are your symptoms trying to tell you?

Perhaps your body is saying it is time for upper cervical care.

A Show of Hands

Hi, my name is Margie. I want to tell you about my experience with Upper Cervical Care. I was known as the woman with the sack of pills. I limped into the office and had my consultation. The Doctor said, ‘I can help you!’

I have high blood pressure and have taken two pills a day for six years. I’ve been on an anti-depressant for 14 years. I’ve had fibromyalgia for nine years. I have hip pain. I’ve been on one heart pill and then another pill for vertigo. My ankles were so swollen I could hardly walk. I could hardly see because of the vertigo, and I could hear a person if he spoke loud enough. When he said he could help me, I said to myself, ‘Boy, is this guy crazy.’

Here is my experience within three days after my first correction:

I was sleeping all night without help. I lost six pounds of fluid. My hearing was so clear that it tickled when anyone talked loudly. My fibromyalgia pain was almost completely gone. My shoes were now too big (they fell off while I was walking!).

Within six weeks my eyes were fine, and I got my driver’s license renewed without glasses. Now after six months I no longer am borderline diabetic, I’ve lost six more pounds. My cholesterol is down. My blood sugar was 200 before the adjustment and my latest blood sugar count was 120. My blood pressure used to be 170/110 with the use of drugs and now is 122/78 and I haven’t taken any pills since February 18, 2000!

When people talk about having this pain here or that pain there, I don’t sit and agree with them. I tell them that I used to have what they do. I say to them, "Now let me tell you about my doctor. You should get an appointment."

Margie suffered with the following complaints as she described them to the Upper Cervical Doctor. The following results were obtained after Upper Cervical Care:

Original conditions and percent Improvement

Vertigo for 18 months. 95% Right knee pain 2 years. 95%
Elevated Blood sugar for 6 weeks. 95% Headaches – constant for 10 years. 95%
Ear pain for 18 months. 100% Fibromyalgia for 10 years. 95%
High blood pressure for 5 years. 100% Indigestion-heartburn for 10 years. 95%
Depression for 10 years. 100% Numbness in right hand – tremor 100%
Bladder control problem for years. 100% Sinus condition for 20 years. 75%
Vision loss for 6 years. 100%