Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care and the Patient with Meniere's

Guest Post by Dr. Timothy Flory

New Research Highlights Natural Relief for Meniere's Patients

Two research studies have shown the effectiveness of chiropractic management of Meniere's disease. The condition is characterized by extreme dizziness, hearing loss, and ringing in the ear. One case study on Meniere's Disease reported on the success of Upper Cervical Chiropractic in managing a patient with the disease after she underwent right vestibular nerve section that proved to be ineffective.

Dr. Tympthy L. Flory, craniocervical specialist from Atlas Spinal Care, says: "Meniere's Disease is a chronic condition that significantly reduces people's quality of life. They often suffer from recurrent vertigo and tinnitus, and some even experience hearing loss. It is known that Meniere's results from inner ear dysfunction, but evidence of the cause and effective treatment has been, unfortunately, still lacking. I have helped many people find relief, however. So it is good to see, therefore, that two significant studies have confirmed what we have believed for a long time: that chiropractic care can provide improvements in the symptoms of people suffering from this condition."

Another study investigated 300 patients, in which various improvements were noted. It was established that the primary cause of the disease in the patients was whiplash trauma, which could have been due to a blow to the head or a vehicular accident. It was found that 90 percent had atlas misalignment patterns of inferior and posterior on the other side of the affected ear. These patients, too, received Upper Cervical Chiropractic care. This study was followed over a six year period, and improvements were noted year after year. Patients reported the intensity of their vertigo using a 0 to 10 scale with 10 being most severe. The average score prior to starting treatment of the head and neck was 8.5. The intensity was down to and average of 3.0 within 6 weeks, 2.0 after the first year of care, and less than 1.0 after threes year. Interestingly, for those that maintained their atlas alignment over a period of 6 years the intensity of their vertigo remained very low, at an average of 0.8.

Both studies demonstrated that providing people with specific chiropractic care of the atlas vertebra offered benefits in terms of treating the condition. The first study concluded that this approach can be used for treating Meniere's disease by correcting the atlas subluxation complex. The second study concluded that patients who have a history of trauma and vertigo should be referred to an upper cervical specific chiropractor for evaluation.

People with Meniere's Disease have traditionally been provided with conventional medical therapy alone and not presented with other options. The new studies, however, suggest that an effective alternative exists. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care, which is a natural form of treatment, is proving to be more effective in providing long term relief.

Atlas Spinal Care is an office focused on structural correction of the head and neck, seeing many patients whose history includes trauma to the head, neck, or both. Located in Southern California, the office sees patients from around the United States seeking help with their vertigo and dizziness.

Contact Atlas Spinal Care:
Dr. Tymothy L. Flory
909-982-9100
AtlasSpinalCare@gmail.com
2335 W Foothill Blvd Suite 20, Upland, CA 91786

Read more

(Disclaimer: 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.)

#UpperCervicalChiropactic Helps Some #Menieres Patients. https://t.co/UkOCaGJG8M

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) December 1, 2016

Do Away With Levels Of Care And Set The Truth Free

By Joe Strauss

Perhaps we are at the point in the development of our model of chiropractic that we should drop the concept of levels of care and just have one level—chiropractic care. At this one and only level, we check the entire spine for vertebral subluxation and adjust if necessary wherever and whenever we find the need, recognizing that different people may need different adjustments and even the same person may need different adjustments from day to day. We could do away with different kinds of care from initial or intensive, or whatever we call it, to wellness or maintenance care. What is it that is different about our care in these situations anyway? Nothing! We always check for subluxations and adjust if necessary each time the practice member comes in. Which is more important, once a day or once a week? They are both equally important.


Perhaps, if we did away with these "levels" of care, we could get people to truly understand what we are doing. Maybe they would view us more like a gym or health club than a doctor treating them for a condition that they hope in time will be eliminated. (In our case the "condition" is vertebral subluxation). Typically, people don't go to their health club on a temporary basis, until a condition (i.e., being out of shape or overweight) is alleviated. They go because they know it is something they should do for their health. They go because they feel healthier, have more energy, and/or are stronger when they go on a regular basis. Some may stop going after they lose the weight or get in shape (and many even before they do), but that is not because they think that they no longer need to go.

I think sometimes we are afraid to be up front with our practice members and tell them from the start what we are about. We are afraid to tell them what they can expect from us and what we expect from them. So, we explain what we are doing in terms they understand or what we think they will understand. People will decide when they no longer want or need chiropractic care. They are free to do that, but we should do everything we can to give them an accurate perception of the kind of care we offer. To do that we need to present chiropractic differently, even different than what every other chiropractor is presenting. They can use chiropractic however they want for as long as they want, but it is in both our and their best interest to know up front that chiropractic is not a treatment for a condition. It is for a better life expression for the duration of an individual's existence.

Why do we still use levels of care? Could we possibly move past this? #Chiropractic #UpperCervical #UCCare... https://t.co/sC4P2PbrUD

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) April 28, 2016

Heavy Purses Can Cause Head & Neck Misalignment?

Putting Bricks in Your Purse and Wearing it on Your Shoulder = BAD

This post is primarily for the female readers of this blog, though if you are a man and wear one of those “man-bags” or “murses,” I suppose this is for you, too.

If your purse is heavy please don’t wear it on your shoulder if at all possible. I know habits are hard to break and you need your hands free, but when you put that added weight on one shoulder instead of equally distributed across the upper back (or not at all), it pulls down on that side of your upper body. This causes you to lean more to one side, putting added and unnecessary weight and strain on that side of your body, which only adds to the body imbalance you may be experiencing if you haven’t been under Upper Cervical Chiropractic care.

If you have been under Upper Cervical Chiropractic care, then this sort of strain on one side of your body on a repeated basis will undoubtedly contribute to you losing the restored alignment of your spine, causing you to need another adjustment sooner rather than later. And as you know, when your spine is out of alignment, it often causes stress and tension on the spinal cord, this will ultimately affect your entire body i.e. organs, glands, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, and joints.

So you see, having a heavy purse, and then wearing it on one shoulder, might actually be putting a damper on your health.

Could Heavy Purses Cause Head Neck Misalignment Over Time? #HeadNeckMisalignment #HeavyPurses #Pain #UpperCervical https://t.co/hhhHbkUt8c

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) April 21, 2016

Evidence Based Care Is Medical?

by Matthew McCoy DC, MPH

Because of the kind of work I do I attend a lot of chiropractic seminars, conventions etc. And since I run with the subluxation centered crowd these are usually the types of seminars and conventions I attend. I also grew up around this faction of the profession from an early age and have heard and seen countless presentations by subluxation centered chiropractors.

One thing I have been hearing quite a bit of from the stage and on social media is this notion that "Evidence Based Health Care" is "medical."

This makes no sense.

I understand chiropractors’ concerns in regards to the inappropriate interpretation and use of the concept of evidence based practice – that isn’t the issue. The issue is that requesting or requiring evidence regarding our care or our claims is considered "medical" or that research in and of itself is "medical" and therefore bad.

If a chiropractor tells me or shouts from the stage that they "don’t need no evidence" then I have a couple of questions for them:
1.  How do you determine that the practice member lying on your table is in need of an adjustment?
2.  How do you determine whether or not the subluxation was reduced or corrected?
Because unless you are just walking into your adjusting rooms and pushing haphazardly on the spine in no particular direction and for no particular reason then – you need evidence.

You need evidence that a subluxation is present.

You need evidence of its characteristics.

If you don’t have those then you have nothing.

So, now extrapolate your individual experience with this patient to the population level. We need evidence regarding the population level characteristics of subluxation as it manifests in the masses.

In research this is called epidemiology.

Evidence based practice is simply helping patients make decisions about their health care based upon:
1.  What does the scientific evidence say?
2.  Does the scientific evidence fit the clinical state and circumstance of my practice member?
3.  What does the patient want to do?
All three of these are overseen by the doctor who helps the patient make decisions about their health care.

It’s important to note that the absence of evidence does not mean that chiropractic (or any other care) is not warranted for the practice member. It just means there is no scientific evidence. Absent such evidence the decision to undergo care is based on the remaining factors.

It is also important to point out that there is an evidence hierarchy and that there are higher and lower levels of research. So even in a case where there is not a single case study, never mind a randomized controlled clinical trial, that does not mean there is no evidence. In situations like that one may need to rely on basic science research to bridge the evidence gap in order to make an informed decision.

So next time you hear a chiropractor say "we don’t need no evidence", do us all a favor and educate them on what evidence based practice really means.

As always, I look forward to comments, feedback and suggestions.

Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Chair – Research Committee
International Federation of Chiropractors & Organizations
matthewmccoy@comcast.net

What do you think? Is Evidence-Based Practice Only Medical? #EBP #Medical #Chiropractic #Research
Posted by Travis Robertson on Thursday, March 31, 2016

What do you think? Is Evidence-Based Practice Only Medical? #EBP #Medical #Chiropractic #Research https://t.co/B3oeDPU1gM

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) March 31, 2016

Infant With Failure to Thrive Thrives After Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

The December 17, 2015, issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a study documenting the case of an infant who was medically diagnosed with failure to thrive being helped with chiropractic.

The authors of the study describe failure to thrive (FTT) as infants who cannot maintain growth or have inadequate growth. The condition is fairly common affecting approximately 3-10% of children attending care in a hospital setting and 5-10% of children attended to in a primary care setting.

This may be due to disease, or not enough calories in the infant's diet or even an infant that burns too many calories. The study reports that 80% of all cases have no known underlying medical conditions for the FTT. Because of the lack of clear medical treatment, the study reports that many parents turn to alternatives such as chiropractic, in these situations.

In this case, a 5-month-old infant girl with a medical diagnosis of "failure to thrive" was brought to the chiropractor. The infant girl was also suffering with inconsolable crying, chronic diarrhea, and was dangerously underweight.

The infant's mother reported that her daughter's problems began at the age of two months when she was brought to the pediatrician for a stomach virus, oral thrush, and loose green stools. Medication was prescribed but was ineffective as the infant continued to suffer from green-colored diarrhea and weight loss for the next six weeks.

The problem worsened to the point that the medical recommendation to the infant’s mother was surgical insertion of feeding tubes into her child’s stomach. It was at this point that the mother decided to try chiropractic for her daughter.

A chiropractic examination revealed the presence of subluxations in the infant's upper neck. Subluxations can cause interference to normal nerve function and have an effect on overall physiology. Chiropractic adjustments were begun to correct the subluxations and restore normal nerve function.

After the infant's first chiropractic adjustment, her mother noted that her daughter slept several hours continuously, without waking up and crying. After the third adjustment, the child stopped the daily screaming, and her stools started to return to normal. After one week of care, the child had gained 2 oz. Each successive week, the child's rate of weight gain continued to increase until the child had returned to a normal weight. A five year follow-up showed that the child was normal, in good heath, and properly developed for her age.

In their conclusion, the authors wrote, " This case report provides supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care in infants with a failure to thrive. We encourage further research and theoretical development on this approach to patient care vis a vis the detection and removal of spinal subluxation."

(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.)

Infants...even the one with Failure To Thrive, can thrive while under Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. #FailureToThrive #Infants #Chiropractic #UpperCervicalCare

Posted by Travis Robertson on Thursday, February 25, 2016

Infants...even the one with Failure To Thrive, can thrive while under Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care.... https://t.co/ihXK5Nx5gR

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) February 25, 2016

Who Could Offer Hope to Pain Sufferers?

By Julie Revelant

Published October 05, 2015

FoxNews.com

After enduring  car accidents when she was a young woman— none of which were her fault— Mary Steinhoff was left with chronic, debilitating pain that lasted for 29 years.

“I was in constant pain, [from] head to toe,” the 56-year-old from Morrisville, North Carolina said.  

In fact, the pain was so bad that she couldn’t raise her right arm or lie flat. As a result, she battled insomnia and fatigue, sleeping just 2 to 3 hours every night for years. It was also challenging to drive and impossible to concentrate or read a book.

“It can be an excruciating journey physically, emotionally and spiritually,” she said.

It wasn’t until 2002 that she was finally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but she continued to live in pain as she tried virtually every treatment available: physical therapy, massage, aqua therapy, acupressure, medication, yoga, psychotherapy and prayer. She even bought a new mattress, tried a gluten-free diet and stopped eating sugar— nothing helped.

“I was desperate to fix this,” she said.

Although chiropractic treatment helped a bit, it wasn’t until she met Dr. Ray Drury, an upper cervical chiropractic doctor in Charlotte, North Carolina last year that she finally found some relief. Upper cervical chiropractors specialize in correcting a small misalignment of the upper neck known as the Atlas Subluxation Complex, according to the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association.

Drury discovered that Steinhoff’s atlas, or C1 vertebra, was tipped 4 degrees forward, which meant that her neck was flat. Since it didn’t have a natural curvature, it was impossible for her to lay flat. He also discovered that her upper cervical spine was not only turned to the right, which caused her spine to turn left, but it was also severely twisted.

After her first upper cervical adjustment, Mary returned home, took a shower and started sobbing. When her husband walked in, alarmed, she rejoiced, “It doesn’t hurt to wash my hair!”

“It was startling to say the least,” she recalled.   

What is upper cervical chiropractic?

The first spinal adjustment ever performed was on the upper cervical spine in 1895 by Dr. D.D. Palmer, who restored a deaf man’s hearing. Although the practice faded out over time, it has seen a resurgence in the past 15 years and is the fastest growing area in chiropractic, said Drury, who is also the author of “The Best Kept Secret in Healthcare.”

The concept of upper cervical chiropractic has to do with the brain stem, which comes out of the head through the top two bones of the neck, known as the atlas (C1) and axis (C2). The brain stem works like a switchboard operator, controlling all of the messages between the brain and the body.

“If one of those bones gets even slightly out of line it can interfere with the messages between the brain and the body,” Drury said.

Using gentle adjustments to the upper cervical spine, the treatment can help people with things like ear and sinus infections, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, sleeping disorders and digestive problems, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, immune disorders, trigeminal neuralgia and seizures.

In fact, a recent study conducted in Italy found  that upper cervical chiropractic adjustments on patients with chronic venous cerebral-spinal insufficiency and multiple sclerosis had improved function in multiple areas of the body after just 6 weeks.

Instead of treating the symptoms as Western medicine does, upper cervical chiropractic looks to identify and treat the root cause.

“We don’t treat conditions, we treat the body. When everything is balanced and nothing is interfered with, the body is a self-healing organism,” Drury said.

The amount of adjustments needed and how often depend on the individual, the degree of misalignment and how long the individual has had the misalignment.  

“As it holds longer, they need to see us less and less,” Drury said. A treatment can also cause soreness, particularly if you’ve had pain for several years.

It may not be for everyone

 Although there is a possibility that upper cervical chiropractic can help those with serious conditions like MS and fibromyalgia, “unfortunately, the research backs up more of what I would call the biomechanical or neuromusculoskeletal aspect,” said Dr. Erik Korzen, a chiropractic physician, professor and advocator in Mokena, Ill..

Korzen says those conditions can include tension headaches, poor posture, nerve irritation due to arthritic or degenerative changes, which can cause symptoms like numbness, tingling and headaches.

There are also certain conditions where upper cervical chiropractic is contraindicated, such as significant osteoporosis or degenerative changes. To avoid damange, individuals with Down syndrome must have X-rays taken before having treatment, in order to see if they have skeletal abnormalities. Although treatment may help people who have seizures, manipulation could actually trigger an episode, depending on the type of seizures.

Plus, adjustments that involve an excessive amount of rotation could actually cause more damage, and over time, can cause laxity in the ligaments.

As more research is conducted and technologic advances are made, clinicians are faced with deciding to either use treatment for conditions that aren’t backed by research and may cause harm or avoid the risks altogether by not using treatment that has the potential to help, Korzen said.

Now, nearly a year after starting treatment, Steinhoff can completely lift her arm, lie down and sleep for 4 to 6 hours each night. She recently also finished reading an entire book, is making plans to be more social and is hopeful about the future.

“I know that I’m probably never going to be free of chronic pain but to be able to manage it day to day is such a blessing,” she said.

Who could offer #hope to #pain sufferers? https://t.co/0QCi6meOaK

— Travis Robertson (@theuppercblog) October 6, 2015

Case Study: Chronic Fibromyalgia Resolved Under Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

On July 13, 2015, a study was published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research (JUCCR) documenting the successful resolution of a case of fibromyalgia with chiropractic care. According to womenshealth.gov, "Fibromyalgia affects as many as 5 million Americans ages 18 and older. Most people with fibromyalgia are women (about 80 - 90 percent). However, men and children also can have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle age."

The authors of the JUCCR study begin by noting that fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread, moving, and very frequently debilitating pain and fatigue. Most sufferers of fibromyalgia are very sensitive to being touched as even a small amount of pressure elicits pain.

In this case, a 32-year-old woman presented herself for chiropractic care after having suffered with fibromyalgia for two years. Her history indicated that she had suffered a separated shoulder seven years prior which was re-injured just prior to her fibromyalgia problems. Previously, the woman was treated medically with a cortisone injection and then sent to a physical therapist. She stated the pain worsened during those two months of physical therapy treatment.

In the month following her physical therapy, her health and vitality rapidly declined to the point where she was eventually bedridden. She was suffering with extreme fatigue, pain, and depression. She tried a variety of care including acupuncture, elimination diets, supplementation, tai chi, and meditation, which yielded no results.

She was given a variety of medications which caused her to experience side effects such as visual, sound, and tactile hallucinations, fits of rage, suicidal tendencies, and massive seizure-like muscle jerking episodes. She was then admitted to the hospital for observation by a neurologist for three days.

Due to her condition and the large amounts of medications she was given, by the time she had presented herself for chiropractic, she was not only suffering with her fibromyalgia, but with a variety of other health issues. These included rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, migraine headaches, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, swollen ankles and feet, cold hands and feet, muscle weakness, numbness in the thigh, eczema, dry skin, blurred vision, excessive tearing, pressure over the eyes, indigestion, hemorrhoids, frequent urination and dribbling, painful and irregular menstruation, difficulty sleeping, irritability, fatigue, depression, and a general feeling of being run-down.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included palpation, range of motion, thermography, postural analysis, and spinal x-rays. The results of the test indicated the presence of subluxation at the top of the woman's neck, known as the atlas vertebrae. Specific chiropractic adjustments were begun to address the subluxation.

After the first adjustment, the patient reported that she felt a 20% reduction in her pain. After three months of care, the woman voluntarily began reducing her medications because of the improvement she was feeling. At nine months into her chiropractic care, the woman had totally discontinued her medication and reported that her pain had improved by 90%.

At the four month mark, the woman reported that she was 100% symptom free and that she felt she had returned to full health and vitality. The study documented that she was no longer bedridden, and was free of pain, fatigue and depression. The woman reported that her life had changed to the point where she had started working with a personal trainer twice a week and exercising three to four days a week. She was also able to fully resume her daily activities.

(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 Helps One Year Old With Congenital Torticollis and Paroxysmal Tonic Upgaze Syndrome

On June 29, 2015, a study was published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research documenting the case of chiropractic helping a baby boy who was suffering with Paroxysmal Tonic Upgaze (PTU) Syndrome, torticollis, and other neurological problems. These issues seemed to be related to the birth trauma the infant received during delivery.

Paroxysmal Tonic Upgaze (PTU) is when a child usually has his or her eyes fixed in a upward position. The child may even tilt their head downward to gaze forward. This may make the child look angry when they are not. Babies affected by this problem can display jerky side to side moment of their head, and may also have sleep issues, developmental delays, and vertigo.

The study reports that the word "torticollis" means twisted neck in Latin. Generally, congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) involves a deformity of the neck where one side of certain neck muscles are shorter than the other. Many factors are proposed to be the cause of this including trauma during the birth process. This problem is often painful and causes a restricted range of motion.

This case involved a 13-month-old boy who was brought to the chiropractor by his mother for a chiropractic evaluation to see if her son could be helped with PTU, congenital torticollis, and infantile spasm/tremors. The infant had already undergone a number of neurological tests and an MRI which did not give any definitive answers. This frustration led to the boy's parents bringing him to the chiropractor.

The history of the infant birth revealed that the pregnancy and delivery were difficult. The mother was in labor for 2 weeks. During delivery, the baby was laying on his back and presented 'face' first, causing the breaking of his mother’s coccyx during the delivery. At one month of age, the child was vaccinated. Shortly thereafter, the mother noticed the muscle spasms and a tilted head. Three weeks later, the child began to hit the back of his head aggressively.

A chiropractic examination was performed including palpation, range of motion, and postural analysis. Based on the findings of the examination, it was determined that the goal of the care should be to correct the subluxations detected in the infant's spine. Specific chiropractic adjustments were started and continued over a period of four months.

The study reported that during the first re-examination, the mother reported that her son was sleeping better and his neck spasms had reduced. She also reported that his upward gaze had decreased thus showing improvement in his diagnosed PTU condition. As care continued, the boy crawled better and his coordination improved. The boy was under care at the time of the writing of this report and continued to show improvement in all his health issues.

In their discussion, the authors of the study explained the mechanism of how correction of subluxation could help this boy by stating, "When a subluxation is present it blocks communication and sensory input between the brain and the body and can lead to neurological dysfunction. This dysfunction without any correction leads to further damage. When a subluxation is present and left uncorrected it will lead to sensory input dysfunction."

(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.)

Forward Head Posture And Why It’s Serious

Wondering why you have neck pain or Degenerative Disc Disease? This post explains how a condition called Forward Head Syndrome is the culprit.

Seen standing upright from the side someone with perfect posture would have an imaginary center of gravity line running from just in front of their ear hole through the slight bump on the top-middle of their shoulder. Normally, the center of gravity of their head is slightly forward of this line so that a very slight muscle tone is required to keep the head looking forward. This tone may act to prevent sudden uncontrolled movements of the head, or lolling (you will have personal experienced of this if you have ever fallen asleep sitting up where your head will fall forwards and your inactive muscles suddenly crank up into action and you jerk upright again).

What you get in anterior head carriage is the center of gravity of the head moving a significant distance forward of the correct center of gravity line. In some cases I have seen this has been up to 50 mm forward of the correct line.

The problem is increasingly prevalent because of what we do in our lives and, I suspect, is set to get worse and worse as the smartphone generation grow up. It is easy to spot, just go and stand next to someone and look to see if their ear hole is forward of the mid-shoulder line. I suspect you’ll be surprised how prevalent it is, in fact I think if you did a statistical analysis of your friends it would be the statistical norm, but still wrong, posture. How many of these people are masking symptoms with taking Tylenol, Motrin and Aspirin.

How does it occur?

The key cause is computer use, especially laptops and smartphones. Carrying heavy bags or back packs, lazy posture and television time with little or no exercise also don’t help but it is the eight hours a day for 30 years that really does the trick especially if it starts when you are young – say in your teens. Computer work keeps you in a static position (usually a forward curved position as well) for long periods of time, which is why getting up and moving around every 15-20 minutes will help.

Backpacks also do it by increasing the overall load on the spine as well as by focusing that extra load onto the shoulders, which is where the major muscles that attach to the back of the skull originate, so putting a much larger strain onto the mechanism of anterior head carriage than the weight of the load would indicate.

The other place it I have seen it is in young girls who are tall and they are trying to hide height, though this is getting less common as they don’t fret about it as much as they used to.

What’s the problem with it?

The way you achieve anterior head carriage is by straightening your cervical spine from C2 to C7 and in some extreme cases I have even seen reverse curving in the neck.

In terms of skeletal problems this means that you are removing the elegant shock absorbing cervical curve and turning the neck into a column which transfers the weight of the head straight down the neck through the discs and the posterior facets leading to disc damage and facet injury. This also places the cervical facets in an abnormal position which means they are far more likely to sustain injury. It is rare for a patient to present at the clinic with non-traumatic acute posterior facet syndrome (you know the sort of thing – the "I don’t know what I did but I woke up like this" cricked neck complaint) who has not got significant anterior head carriage. Also with anterior head carriage the posterior fibers of the disc annulus get stretched which increases the risk of posterior disc rupture, protrusion or bulge and the subsequent events associated with these grim conditions.

In neurological terms a straight cervical spine means that your spinal cord, and therefore nearly every nerve in your body, is physically straightened. Imagine trying to straighten out a banana; what happens? The banana gets squashed, the same thing happens to the spinal cord. Now, nerves are designed to take this stretch as you look down but only for a short time and there are a multitude of studies out there showing the changed anatomy of the spinal cord in a chronic anterior head carriage patient. Stretched nerves have been shown to function less effectively(disease) and their axoplasmic flow is reduced.

From the perspective of upper cervical care, when your head and neck are no longer in proper alignment to each other, your muscles have to pick up the slack of supporting your head. This results in a higher muscle tone in your neck and upper back leading to trigger points in the Traps and Lev Scap muscles and Pain. No wonder people have shoulder trigger points that never seem to resolve; the underlying problem hasn’t been resolved and the outcome will remain the same.

The result is neck and upper back pain, restricted cervical bio-mechanics and all the physiological changes that would be associated with an abnormally functioning neck and upper spine.

Now in some people I have seen there are no perceptible problems at all but in others there have been a slew of neck pain, Dizziness, Ringing in the ears, headaches, upper body fatigue, sleep disorders, TMJ Problems and the list goes on and on. And……….. I would be willing to bet that more than a few people have been mistakenly diagnosed with migraine head ache or tension headache who, in reality, have anterior head carriage and tragic cervical biomechanics.

So give upper cervical care a try today and maybe get back on track, get your power set free and regenerate to live long, strong, tall and healthy.

(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.)

A Skeptical Patient's Experience

(Editor's Note: The following is one patient's experience with Upper Cervical Care.)

I have had the extraordinary privilege of working with Dr. Dan Fedelli here in Chicago over the last 2 years and I’ve become a believer in Upper Cervical Chiropractic work and the difference it makes.

I was really skeptical. When I came to Dr. Dan, my jaw hurt all the time , I had excruciating tension headaches that wrapped around my skull like a 2 inch wide Bandana from an 80’s Hair band. The Right side of my face had fallen sometime in 2006, and my smile was a hot-lopsided mess! The Facebook picture I have in which some accuse of being too sultry, was in fact an attempt to hide said lop-eared smile! I also had difficulty sleeping due to intense unrelenting pain between my shoulders. And I was grinding my teeth all night every night.
In the beginning, I would go to my appointments with him and just cry from relief. Then I would go directly home and nap for 2 hours – getting the best deepest rest I’d had in 3 years. I didn’t know if any of this would help me, but I kept going as I had no diagnosis and therefore no treatment…and my symptoms were getting worse. It felt good to at least be doing SOMETHING.

I began to sleep better…my headaches diminished with in 1 month.

With in 4 months my smile was restored.

What I liked about working with Dr. Fedelli, is that he was straight about getting me on a healing program and not interested in maintaining the frequency of my appointments. We started with 2 appointments / week, which quickly went to 1/wk, the every 2 weeks…then 1/month. After a year or so I felt pretty good and I had dropped out my appointments for a few months…slowly my neck bunched up and I was experiencing lower energy etc…I have to say when I returned 5 months later it only took 6 weeks to get back on track and return to sound sleeping once more.

I also appreciate the service of his staff, the private treatment rooms.  I feel cared for and valued versus pursued as a revenue stream, which has been my experience of other chiropractors in the past.

A word about NET or Neuro Emotional Therapy, I don’t pretend to understand it, I only know it produces results. It’s a valuable tool in my commitment to healing my whole self, and ridding my body of whatever dis-ease I have created in my experience.

Here is a link to his web site:
http://www.thebalancingcenter.com.

There is something about the whole specialty of Upper Cervical Chiropractic that goes beyond the norm. I highly recommend it to anyone with lingering jaw issues due to dental surgery, stress in the upper back or shoulders and lack of function or nerve damage in the face! Get your self some balance!

(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.)

73% Of Depression Cases Improve After Upper Cervical Care

During times like these especially, depression can run pretty rampant. (Upper Cervical) Chiropractic can help with those feelings of depression and disparity. A study in the November 7, 2005 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research finds that patients diagnosed with clinical depression experienced a "highly significant" level of improvement in their depression symptoms after a short round of (upper cervical) chiropractic care to correct small misalignments of the spinal bones know as vertebral subluxation. In the study, 15 patients from around the country who were diagnosed as clinically depressed were put under chiropractic care. The study subjects were given the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) survey to determine the extent of their depression before and after the (upper cervical) chiropractic care.

The BDI-II is a questionnaire designed to measure the presence and severity of depression in people 13 or older and is one of the most widely used standards of psychological measures.

In the study, specific attention was paid to the first vertebra in the spine, know as the upper cervical (neck) region. The researchers limited their communication with their patient during the procedures to decrease the possibility of placebo effect. No other relaxation or therapeutic methods such as heat or massage were used in order to decrease the number of variables that might affect the outcomes.

Before the patients had (upper cervical) chiropractic care, the mean BDI-II score was 17. After the chiropractic care, the mean score had decreased to 8 (lower is better). 11 of the 15 patients showed marked improvement after care.

The authors of this study report that historically, the interest in the effect chiropractic care has on mental health started in the 1920’s. Indeed, two chiropractic psychiatric hospitals ran successfully for almost thirty years in Davenport, Iowa. Unfortunately when those hospitals closed in the 1950’s most of the patient records were destroyed. Clinical observations during that time suggested that (upper cervical) chiropractic was at least as successful as state psychiatric facilities.
 
(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 Woodpecker and Traumatic Brain Injury

by Dr. Philip Schalow

I was relaxing in the afternoon sunshine today, listening to the far-off rhythmic hammering of a woodpecker. Everyone has something useful to do - eating, relaxing, foraging - even birds.

But then I got to wondering why woodpeckers don't suffer traumatic brain injury with all that hammering they do with their heads...

I take care of people who have had head injuries. Motorcyclists, victims of car accidents, victims of sports trauma, are some of the people that upper cervical care helps to restore. What don't we know about the difference between our head and neck structures and that of the woodpecker?

We already know how the connection between the head and neck can be displaced. This displacement is called a "subluxation." A subluxation creates interference with nerve transmission and can lead to pathological changes in joints, nerves, muscles, and the organs that those nerves supply.

When there is a TBI, this subluxation prevents the bones of the skull from moving back into their normal relationships, compressing the brain and causing increased intra-cranial pressures, among other things. Did someone say headaches?

Restoring the relation between the head and neck, removing the subluxation has a number of effects; first of all, the skull bones relax and begin to move freely again, allowing the pressure on the brain to go down. Second, the spine moves back into balance - what is perceived as scoliosis resolves. Then all the signals moving from the brain to the body normalize so that muscles come back to balance, organs function at a higher level....you get the picture...health stops decaying.

So can you answer the question why we don't have woodpeckers dropping out of the sky with concussions?

(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.)

Harvard Study: Chiropractic Care Is Safe

Harvard Study Points to Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief

& The Safety of the Chiropractic Adjustment
 

By  Noah Herbert, D.C., CCSP®, William J. Owens DC, DAAMLP,  Mark Studin DC, FASBE(C), DAAMLP, DAAPM
 

A recent article released by Harvard Health Publications at Harvard Medical School points to chiropractic care as a form of pain relief. There are currently many Americans that seek out chiropractors, but many people don’t realize the wide variety of treatments that a chiropractor can provide for pain relief. The article states "while the mainstay of chiropractic is spinal manipulation, chiropractic care now includes a wide variety of other treatments, including manual or manipulative therapies, postural and exercise education, ergonomic training (how to walk, sit, and stand to limit back strain), nutritional consultation, and even ultrasound and laser therapies. In addition, chiropractors today often work in conjunction with primary care doctors, pain experts, and surgeons to treat patients with pain."
 

While this is nothing new for the chiropractic community, it may serve to further educate the public as to the many tools a chiropractor possesses to help patients. While the majority of research on chiropractic has focused on spinal manipulation, or adjustment of the spine, for pain relief, there have been studies done on the effectiveness of chiropractic for treating musculoskeletal pain, headaches, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome and fibromyalgia (Harvard Health Publications). The author goes on to state "a recent review concluded that chiropractic spinal manipulation may be helpful for back pain, migraine, neck pain and whiplash." It should be pointed out there have been reports of serious complications, including stroke, but this has been shown to be extremely rare and some studies suggest this may not be directly caused by the treatment provided by the chiropractor (Harvard Health Publications).
 

Spinal manipulation, or adjustment of the spine, is a term used to describe providing a high velocity, low amplitude thrust to the vertebra. Chiropractors use this technique to correct the body’s spinal alignment to relieve pain and improve function and to allow the body to heal itself. Treatment usually takes between 10 to 20 minutes and most patients are scheduled 2-3 times per week initially. Patients generally see improvement of their symptoms in the first two to three weeks (Harvard Health Publications).
 

Harvard Medical School is now saying what chiropractors have been saying for over 100 years and although their article was based on pain, it does add more evidence to the false rhetoric of chiropractic patients having a greater risk of stroke. In the future, reports from Harvard and other medical academic institutions will embrace the growing body of scientific evidence of the varied maladies that respond to chiropractic care.
 

References:

Harvard Health Publications. (2015). Chiropractic Care for Pain Relief. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/chiropractic-care-for-pain-relief
 

 (Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical chiropractic care is to correct spinal 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 chiropractic care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)