How About A Few Self Care Tips For The Upper Neck?

Editor's Note: This article is part of a larger article from Dynamic Chiropractic, a Chiropractic publication, so it is written as if the chiropractor was reading it.   You can find the full article here.)

Self-Mobilization Exercises For The Upper Neck

Our patients often have recurrent patterns of fixation. When I can, I like to show them how to self-mobilize these areas. Here are two exercises to address these patterns.

1. Upper Cervical Side-Bending. This is an exercise I developed for one of my patients who kept experiencing upper-cervical jamming and headaches. This is useful for a patient who lacks side-bending at the occiput or has a recurrent atlas fixation. Look at the patient. Is their head "on straight"? If not, here is a way to teach them to straighten it out.

This exercise is a bit tricky and requires decent motor control, so you will need to teach the patient how to do it a few times. We are not trying to get them to stretch or side bend their whole neck. We don't want the motion to occur in the middle or lower cervical spine. We are trying to induce side-bending motion into the upper cervical spine. The visualization is to see their face spinning or rotating around their nose. Think of a clock face with the nose in the middle.

Step one is to straighten the head in the sagittal plane by activating the deep neck flexors. You probably already know this as a stand-alone exercise. This begins to correct the chin poke and lack of posterior glide. Next, the patient should hold this chin tuck position and put their hands on their head and face. One hand is on the temporal region; the other on the opposite side, over the jaw. They are going to resist gently and move their head against the resistance of their hands. Ask the patient to move about 1-2 inches. This is not an isometric exercise; it is about inducing motion.

The usual error is to just push against the top hand, which puts the fulcrum lower in the neck. The patient needs to equally push against the opposite hand, the one on the jaw. Some patients need to start to push with the jaw first to get the right motion started. Caution may be needed if they have a TMJ issue. As always, remind them to gently resist; this is motor control, not a strength contest.

2. Sternocleidomastoid stretch.  What muscle is pulling on the occiput? The primary short and tight muscle is usually the SCM. This is another exercise that may be challenging for your less-coordinated patients. It can be done either supine or sitting. Let's outline it step by step. (By the way, this same routine can be done by the doctor to the patient as a pin and stretch.)
Start by instructing the patient to use their opposite hand to grasp the bulk of the SCM muscle. Aim at the tightest part of the SCM; it could be up high or down near the clavicle. Grasp it between the thumb and fingers. If this proves too challenging, you can have the patient place their opposite hand on the top of the medial clavicle and pull downward, stabilizing the origin of the muscle.

Patient tucks the chin, lifts the sternum and elevates the crown toward the ceiling. This is the basic motion that activates the deep neck flexors and puts the head in the proper start position.

Patient rotates the head about 20 degrees toward the side you want to stretch. This is counterintuitive; the SCM has an obliquely upward path, which lengthens the muscle.
Patient tips (side bends) the head away, maintaining the chin tuck position; then pulls downward on the tight part of the SCM with the hand grasping it. (They can also lubricate with lotion and glide with compression down the muscle belly.)Here are the common errors: They lose the chin tuck. They tend to want to rotate to the same side as they are side-bending, instead of rotating to the opposite side. Some patients have a hard time grasping the muscle; the glide way may work better for them.

(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.)

Slimkicker: The Health And Fitness App Like No Other

(Editors Note:  Today's post is about a health and fitness app that I came across that approaches the subject in a very unique way...hope you enjoy.  Check it out in more detail at SlimKicker.com)

Turn your weight loss and fitness goals into a level-up game

Gamification of weight loss

SlimKicker was formed to solve a huge problem when it comes to losing weight, or living healthier: sustaining motivation. Many people makes resolutions to stop eating junk, or start going to the gym every New Year. But once March or April hits, we forget about our goals, and return back to our old ways.
That's why we created SlimKicker, a level-up game and point-based program. You start by tracking your diet, where whole foods are worth more points than processed foods. It's similar to Weight Watchers, but in reverse.

But diet, and fitness are half of the battle. Most people regain weight because they never learn long-term habits. We solve this by taking habits as quitting soda, and turning them into 7-30 day challenges. Like a regular game, the challenges start out easy, and gradually become harder, with more points. We encourage you to check-in daily with others doing the same challenge for accountability and social support.

Does SlimKicker replace a diet program?

SlimKicker can be used alongside any existing diet program, or can replace other diets such as Weight Watchers. We think short-term diets are not effective because people return back to bad habits after they're over. SlimKicker, on the other hand is all about learning proper nutrition, portion control, and acquiring important habits. In addition to challenges, SlimKicker also offer tools such as a calorie counter, a fitness tracker, and resources.

Fun and Games are not Enough

Making things fun and motivating is cool, but it's useless without actionable, personalized advice. That's why we're working on using all your data to give you advice on how to reach your diet and fitness goals. So for instance, if we find you're eating a lot of junk food, we'll tell you ways to cut back, and healthier alternatives.

Our Team

SlimKicker, the idea was born in April 2012, and was officially launched out of beta in March 2012. We're a bootstrapped team based in NYC. If you wish to contact us, we're on Twitter, Facebook, or you can email us at team (at) slimkicker.com.

How To Misalign Your Head And Neck...Let Me Count The Ways

(Editor's Note:  Fifty to be exact and this is far from a complete list but it gets you thinking about why it is important to be checked periodically.)

by Dr. Deborah Sesker

In a perfect world, none of us would have been born by forceps, or by Cesarean, or with the doctor pulling with too much force on our heads.

In a perfect world, none of us would have fallen off the side of the bed when we were two, tripped down the stairs at age eight, or rolled our car in the ditch at eighteen.

But these things happen. And when they do they often stress the muscles and ligaments of the upper neck to the point where the bones misalign and lock-down, placing stress on the spinal column and the delicate nervous system inside.

If we were lucky enough to have our parents take us to an upper cervical doctor at a young age, we might have only lived with our neck misalignment for days, weeks, or maybe a few years before having it properly corrected.

But most of us aren’t, which means many of us live one, two, or six decades before we ever have our atlas unlocked by our upper cervical doctor. By this time ligaments are tightened, muscles have developed amnesia, and we have patterns of movements which place stress on the top of our spine without us even knowing.

All of this is to say, that even a really good upper cervical correction may not hold very well, especially in the beginning of our care. And if we want to make the most of our upper cervical  care, we’re going to need to be careful what we do on a day to day basis.  Here are 50 simple ways you could lose your upper cervical alignment.

    Sleeping on your stomach.

    Sleeping on your side without proper neck support.

    Reading in bed with a book on your chest.

    Watching television in bed with your chin on your chest.

    Falling asleep on the arm of the couch.

    Falling asleep upright in a chair.

    Falling asleep upright in a chair and waking up with an ear resting on one shoulder.

    Falling asleep anywhere other than your bed.

    Propping your head up on your hands, fist or palm under your jaw, for more than a few seconds at a time.

    Looking up for more than a minute at a a time, be it stargazing, birdwatching, or painting a ceiling.

    Stretching your neck by pushing it forward, backward, or pulling it to the the side with your hands.

    Having anyone else push or pull your head to stretch your neck.

    Stretching your neck by rolling your head in big circles.

    Staring down at a Smart Phone screen or tablet for hours everyday.

    Gripping a phone between your ear and your shoulder, instead of using headset or speaker phone.

    Having a small child hang from your neck.

    Having a small child jump on your head while wrestling in the living room.

    Having anyone hang from your neck or jump on your head.

    Whipping your head to the left or right or up and down while dancing, head-banging, or whatever it is you might be doing.

    Flipping your hair repeatedly to remove it from your face.

    Shaking your hair out to help dry it after a shower.

    Turning your head without moving your shoulder to look behind you while driving.

    Driving and hitting anything going more than five miles per hour.

    Driving and getting hit by anyone else going more than five miles per hour, for that matter.

    Getting into your small sedan by craning your neck to one side to sit down over and over again, instead of sitting down facing outward, and then rotating your body inward.

    Getting elbowed in the face while playing basketball, volleyball, tag, or any other amateur sport.

    Standing on your head.

    Heading a soccer ball.

    Smacking your own forehead.

    Falling on an outstretched hand.

    Doing a somersault improperly.

    Doing a cartwheel improperly.

    Doing certain yoga positions improperly.

    Doing ab crunches with your hands behind your head.

    Landing on your head from any height.

    Boxing.

    Martial arts with bad form.

    Bench pressing and watching your biceps, not the bar.

    Squatting and lifting your chin as you fatigue.

    Lifting without tucking your chin at work, at home, or anywhere.

    Getting dental work.

    Popping your own neck.

    Having someone else pop your neck.

    Chewing gum all day.

    Cracking a tooth.

    Deep tissue massage in the neck.

    Getting your hair washed, dyed, or dried backward in a salon sink.

    Getting into a pillow fight.

    Getting placed in a head-lock

    Getting up, turning over, or moving your body by leading with the head and neck, and not with the pelvis.

Does doing any one of these 50 things mean you’re going to need another adjustment? Not necessarily. Everyone is a little bit different. (Some kids have played high school football without losing their alignment.)

But they are common ways that you can set your upper cervical care backwards, and they’re worth considering if you’re having a hard time holding your alignment.

Why Upper Cervical Care Matters

No Matter

But, I feel fine.......................No Matter how you feel.

But, I eat well........................No Matter what you eat.

But, I take vitamins...................No Matter which vitamins you take.

But, I meditate........................No Matter how often you meditate.

But, I get plenty of rest..............No Matter how much rest you get.

But, I exercise........................No Matter what form of exercise you do.

But, I have this or that condition.....No Matter what your diagnosis.

But, I have been told that.............No Matter what you have been told.

But, I take this drug..................No Matter what drug you are taking.

But, I can’t afford it.................No Matter what your financial situation.

But, I don’t have insurance............No Matter what your insurance coverage is.

But, I had this treatment..............No Matter what treatments you have tried.

But, I don’t have the time.............No Matter how busy you are.

No matter what else you do...if the messages from your brain do not properly reach each and every cell of your body; if your nerve system does not work correctly, then you will never be all you could be physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. You will never be truly healthy! Upper cervical care is dedicated to locating the a common cause of interference - head/neck misalignment.

Just How Does The Body Work?

How the Body Works

-Author Unknown

Most people have been led to believe eating nutritious foods (including supplements), drinking plenty of fluids, exercising regularly, sleeping well and having a clean air supply will keep you healthy.

Well ....

These things are a vital part of living a healthy lifestyle - but every function in your body is under the regulation and coordination of your nerve system, which must operate at 100% for optimal health.

The Nerve System Houses Your Brain Messages:

Think about it. Your brain isn't programmed to make you sick or diseased - ever. Each human brain and nerve system is totally 100% programmed for optimal health and wellness and will manifest this every time unless interfered with somewhere in the system. Your brain stores thousands of genetic coding far beyond our scientific understanding of the body.

Establishing an Uninterrupted Nerve Flow is a Major Key to Optimal Health:

Your brain is continuously producing vital messages which are brilliantly decoded into electrical impulses with the purpose of performing an important function in a specific place in your body. Millions of these messages are sent every second of your life passing from your brain to your body cells and equally important, from your body cells back to your brain. Anything that interrupts the proper flow of electrical impulses through your nerve system should set off loud beeping alarms in the body, but it often doesn't - usually not until a certain amount of damage has already been accumulated.

Take a moment, followed by a lifetime, to appreciate your body and your innate life force that controls all body functions. Periodic upper cervical care can contribute in a big way to maintaining your body balance and achieve optimal health.

Want More From Your Exercise? Try Upper Cervical Care

13 Benefits Of Upper Cervical Care: Part 6

Regular exercise is essential to maximum health and overall well being. Some insurance companies have financial incentives for their customers encouraging them to exercise. Some businesses provide facilities for their employees to exercise. They know that not only will there be less lost time because of sickness but when the employee is at work, he or she will be more alert and able to focus on their job tasks. They are beginning to realize something that many doctors have been saying for years, that the human body cannot be divided into the physical and the mental. Everything is related. The brain is an organ like the heart. If exercise is good for the heart, then it is good for the brain. If it helps the heart work better, it will also enable the brain to work better. Will exercise make the difference between having a heart attack and not having one? Authorities say that is a distinct possibility. Well then, it logically follows that it could make a difference between being able to use your brain effectively for the entire day rather than only three or four hours. Would that greater efficiency benefit you in your job? That also is a distinct possibility.

If exercise is that important (and it is), then it is equally important to consider things that significantly impact your exercise. Upper cervical care is such a thing. There are two ways in which upper cervical care directly affects your exercise. First, some people just do not have the energy to exercise. It is true that exercising regularly will enable your body to work better, which results in more energy, but it is difficult to break the negative cycle to get motivated to get up off the couch and exercise. Upper cervical care can enable your body to work better by removing interference in the nerve system. Often that is just enough motivation to allow you to get into a health routine. Upper cervical care can also help motivate you by helping you to understand more about the human body, what benefits it, and what does not. As you become more appreciative of the wisdom of the body that has the ability to take what you eat, as well as the exercise and the rest you get and make you all that you can be you cannot help but be motivated to take better care of your body.

Besides motivation, upper cervical care affects your exercise by a physiological factor. For your body to benefit from exercise to a maximum degree, you must have a good nerve supply. You could exercise the parts of a corpse and it would not be one bit stronger, healthier or have more tone to its muscles. It needs life to get any benefit at all. In order to get the maximum benefit, a body needs the maximum amount of life, that is a full supply of mental impulses flowing over the nerve system to all parts of the body. That can only occur to its maximum potential when you are free of nerve interference due to head/neck misalignment. A paralyzed person can have their muscles exercised and receive therapeutic movements but it will not benefit them because the vital life energy is not flowing over the nerves. Similarly, if the head and neck are misaligned, it can interfere with some of the vital mental impulses that enable an exercised muscle to get stronger. If you are going to exercise and you should, be sure to not waste your time and energy. Make sure your muscles have all the energy they need to maximize their potential. Consider periodic upper cervical care so that you get the most from your exercise program.

Your Body: No Instructions Included?

We often fail to read the instructions before undertaking a task. Occasionally I may find myself at a self-serve gas station unable to get the pump going. Then I read the little instruction screen that says, “Pay the attendant inside first.” How often do we attempt to put together a new toy, new bicycle or a piece of furniture without bothering to read the instructions, unless of course we get stuck? Who takes the time to read the owner’s manual before driving off in a new car? Who ever reads the thick instruction booklet on a new DVD or Blu-ray player? What do we do? We plug it in, turn it on, and begin to use it right away. If it doesn’t work right, we try what we use to do before even though it might be a totally different model and manufacturer. When all else fails, then we read the instruction booklet.

Computer programmers have found a way to deal with this problem. They put the instructions on the screen and force you to go through them one screen at a time by clicking on “next.” Further, they give you all kinds of warnings and graphics to make you fearful to click to the next screen without reading the instructions. Of course, anyone who has used a computer is more likely to follow the screen’s instructions. It’s easier to take apart and reassemble a new back-yard barbecue grill then it is to fix a crashed computer. It never hurts to read the instructions first even if it does take a little longer and most of the time it avoids difficulties which are time consuming and have the potential for harm.

Ironically, the most important “appliance” in the world does not come with instructions. Wouldn’t it be nice if that new baby came into the world with “instructions for care and upbringing” tattooed on his little behind. There are many books on upbringing that help. Unfortunately, most of the books often elicit the response “that wouldn’t work with my kid!” That is because every child has a different personality. So we do the best we can and maybe hope for supernatural intervention.

The care of the body presents a similar problem. Every human body is a little different. There aren’t any instructions that fit everybody. We are designed as different on the inside as we are on the outside. Our individual bodies’ needs and functions are as different as our personalities. An instructional book is an impossibility. There are some common-sense measures regarding diet, rest and exercise that we can apply to everyone so we are not totally at a loss. Even better, we do not have to hope for supernatural intervention. That intervention is automatic. Within the living body is an innate intelligence capable of running the body from birth to death. It knows how to cool the “appliance” when it overheats, shut it down for rest, sleep and repair when overworked and so much more. It perfectly burns fuel (food) and eliminates wastes. It is run by the world’s most advanced computer. Its function is coordinated by the brain and nerve system. But glitches can occur in the system. When these glitches are caused by head/neck misalignment than upper cervical care can be of assistance. Upper cervical care corrects head/neck misalignment so the 'computer' can function properly and people can experience a fuller, more productive life. That is no small thing. So before you develop problems that cannot be corrected or just to make sure all your parts are working as they should, consider a simple guideline: Get periodic upper cervical check-ups.

Upper Cervical Care And Better Performance

Performance can be defined as the degree to which anything functions as intended. When it comes to one’s performance as a human being (human performance) many factors are involved. Unfortunately, in today’s busy society with so many factors, most people are looking for a quick fix or a shortcut. Naturally then, when the average person is looking to improve their performance in any aspect of life, they tend to seek out the single key factor for the best results. So what is the single most important aspect in improving or maintaining a high level of performance in any aspect of your life? Factors such as adequate exercise, good nutrition, positive mental attitude, and a good nerve supply are all very important. But which one is the key to better performance?

The truth is, none of them is the answer, but here is the answer: The key to better performance is commitment. What good is exercise if you don't commit to doing it regularly? How much value is nutritious food when it is only talked about and you do not take the time to properly prepare it? If you just consider having a positive attitude, you might end up depressed. Simply agreeing with your upper cervical doctor that it's a good idea to have a good nerve supply just doesn't get it done.

Done sparingly, all of these measures are positive. Exercising only on the weekends is better than doing nothing at all. Some good nutrition is better than eating junk food all the time. Being positive only when things are going your way is probably better than being negative all the time. Having your spine and nerve system checked once a year is better than never.

However, making and following through on a commitment to improve your life is what really brings about better human performance. Sure, it may take more time and cost some money, but aren't you worth it?

Upper cervical care is committed to helping you with one aspect of improving your performance -- having a good nerve supply by correcting head/neck misalignment. That is the area in which he/she is an expert and can help you. To get the most from upper cervical care, just like anything else, you need to commit to it. Everything in an upper cervical care office, from office hours to the fee system, has been carefully thought out to make fulfilling your commitment that much easier for you.

Reducing Health Care Costs With Upper Cervical Care

(Editor's note: This is from a blog that I came across the other day and I really enjoyed a recent post on it. There is an excerpt below but you can read the full article here.)

Top 5 Ways to Reduce Health Care Costs

By healthbymom

1. Lose Weight. 5 lbs. Can you start with losing 5 lbs? Just taking 5 lbs. of body weight off of your frame will improve your health. It is no surprise to read literature stating that obesity doubles or even triples health care costs. This is why companies are always encouraging weight loss! It is cheaper for them to insure people of a healthy weight. Why? Because people of a healthy weight are….generally…HEALTHIER! Reducing your weight will reduce your health care costs. Let me give you one example why. In just ONE POUND of fat, there are approximately 0.3 miles of blood vessels. This is why overweight people have high blood pressure. The heart has to work overtime and overpressure to get the blood pumped through all of that extra mileage. (It only takes 3.5 extra pounds of fat to have an entire MILE of blood vessels! – WOW!)

2. Move More! (Exercise). Clearly, this goes with the above. But most of us live relatively sedentary lives and without a conscious effort, we wouldn’t move more than just our fingers on a keyboard all day. Research (Medica and Life Time Fitness 2007) shows that people who received a financial incentive to exercise regularly saw an average claim cost decrease of more than 33% per member, per month. This research was based on those people exercising only an average of EIGHT days per month! Just EIGHT days! Moving their bodies on 8 out of 30 days resulted in 64.3% decrease in facility claims. They were healthier! And they were paying LESS to health care because of it.

3. Drink More Water! The body is composed of 55-75% water. And we are in need of CONSTANT water replenishment. Your health depends on water. Those energy cycles you were forced to learn in chemistry class are dependent on water. Water is needed to move the blood, to flush the liver toxins, to digest foods, to move the bowel, to sweat, to breathe…the list goes on and on. Water loss of only 1 – 2% can make you feel tired and zap you of your energy. Any more than that and you will start losing normal body functions. Perhaps your blood pressure will go up because your blood is thicker than it should be. Or you will be constipated because you don’t have enough hydration to move the bowels appropriately. So how much water should you drink a day? There are many different “rules”. Some people like the 8oz. of water 8 times a day rule. That one is just fine if you stick to it. I try to drink half my body weight in oz. per day. So, hypothetically, I weigh 120lbs (which I don’t). I would have to drink 60 oz of water in a day. It works. Sure, your bladder will have to get used to it. But once you stop worrying about those trips to the bathroom – you will notice that your energy is better, your attitude is better, and you just feel better all around.

4. Stop eating foods you cannot pronounce. Here’s a task for you. The next time you sit down with a bag or a package of some “food”, get on your favorite search engine (bing, google, yahoo…) and type in the ingredients one by one. I can almost guarantee that those long names you see on that package will have reported detrimental effects. They are cancer-causing, tumor-forming, and DNA-mutilating. Check out this article. It is a little dated, but not much has changed I promise you that.

So what should you do? Shop on the OUTSIDE aisles of the grocery store. Stick to fresh produce and meats whenever possible. Don’t go through that drive-through. Make changes for you, for your health, and for your family’s health. This type of change will pay you back in large dividends.

5. Last but certainly not least, seek out alternatives in health care. My personal #1 choice is upper cervical care. Insurance does not always cover it, that is true. But paying cash, out of pocket, is completely worthwhile to many families. Why? They get well from a wide variety of illnesses that they are no longer paying co-pays for repeat visits to the pediatrician or family physician; they are no longer paying for prescription medications or even over the counter medications; they aren’t missing work days to stay home with sick kids. They just aren’t! We see this over and over and over again. If you haven’t heard of upper cervical care, check out these two sites:

drjerrykennedy.com and uppercervicalcare.com

The "Perfect" Diet And Upper Cervical Care

“For every illness, there is a country where it simply does not exists.”

This quote, from a direct mail promotional advertisement, is designed to get you to subscribe to a publication that claims to give you the secrets to preventing cancer, stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other diseases. They suggest that a natural diet which includes certain substances is responsible for the absence of certain diseases in certain countries. They further suggest that if you take these substances in supplemental form, you will not get these diseases either. There are a number of interesting aspects to this theory. First, independent of diet, people in these countries do not live to advanced age. In fact, they die at just about the same age as people in other countries, just not from these diseases. For example, countries with low mortality rates due to breast cancer have high rates due to bowel cancer or something else. It appears that people in these countries are not any healthier, they just suffer from different diseases.

This bit of information tells us that clearly there are a variety of factors involved in the development of any disease. Eskimos do not ordinarily die from cancers, but they do have an increased incidence of cardiovascular problems. Island populations that do not eat a lot of red meat do not have cholesterol-related conditions, but they often have stomach and bowel cancer from the high fish and seafood diets. The point is that there is no perfect diet just as there is no perfect environment. All have certain advantages and all have certain drawbacks.

This is not to suggest that what you eat is not important. Quite the contrary, everything that you eat is important. Likewise everything you do or do not do has an effect on your health and your longevity. Where you live and how you adapt to where you live are certainly significant factors in your health. Hereditary factors are also important, as is your ability to handle stress. So what is not important? Everything is important. There are literally hundreds of factors and causes. So the next time someone says they have the answer to disease, realize that they may or may not have an answer but they surely do not have the answer. Supplying a nutrient that is lacking in your diet may be an answer to one thing, the lack of that substance, but it is not the answer to all or any disease.

That is one of the great things about upper cervical care. We do not claim to have the cure for all or any disease or even the answer for back problems. We do, however, have the answer to one problem, an interference in the nerve system due to head/neck misalignment which deprives the body of working at its maximum potential in all areas. Upper cervical care is not a substitution for medicine, nutrition, exercise or anything else. It is one thing, only one thing, but this one thing can play a large role in you reaching your potential in every area of life.

We must also realize that since there are so many factors in health and in freedom from disease, it behooves us to focus on what we should be doing for our health rather than trying to prevent the thousands of diseases. No country is free from all disease. If there was such a country, it would be the most crowded spot on earth. Fortunately or unfortunately, the major cause of disease is not within the environment but within the individual and his or her ability to live in and adapt to the unique environment of that country. If you want to take supplements that is up to you, but realize that only addresses one factor relating to your health. Of course, ideally you would develop good enough eating habits that you would not require supplements and you would do a variety of other things necessary for good health and a productive life. Some of these things might include regular exercise, appropriate amounts of rest and a good mental attitude and by all means have your spine and nerve system checked periodically by an upper cervical doctor.

Back Pain?

At least 80 % of the American public will at some point suffer from back pain. Anywhere between $16 and $50 billion is wasted on medical expenses and lost work time annually due to back pain.

While it is true that thousands of people go to upper cervical doctors across the country everyday for back pain, many of whom find relatively quick, affordable relief, IT IS NOT TRUE THAT UPPER CERVICAL CARE IS AN EFFECTIVE TREATMENT FOR BACK PAIN.

The fact is, some of those people would have experienced relief whether they received upper cervical care or not. For some, general chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, hot/cold therapy or exercise might have been equally effective. Others would probably have felt better in time with no treatment at all. Unfortunately, what seems to work today may not work tomorrow. For many years the medical community suggested two weeks in bed for back pain. Today it is commonly understood that more than two days of bed rest can often make back pain worse. We realize now that as the muscles that support the spine are not used, they become weaker and less able to do their job. The variety in what constitutes effective treatment can partially be explained by the fact that the causes of back pain are as varied as the sufferers themselves.

Eighty percent of all low-back pain originates in the muscles, ligaments or disks. Some pain is caused by sheer overuse of muscles, whether it is by repeated use or by asking a muscle to do more than it is capable of in a single situation. Some back pain is caused by joint conditions--inflammation, arthritis or degeneration. Another leading cause of back pain is the herniated disk. However, interestingly enough, 20-30% of people with herniated disks and back pain actually have discomfort for a reason other than the disk condition. This is noteworthy inasmuch as many of these people go on to have surgery for the disk, which is not the cause of their pain. Still, other pain is caused by unrelated disease in the back area such as kidney or digestive problems or even cancer.

So with the variety of causes of back pain, you may be wondering how any one thing can be effective. For example, how aspirin works to relieve pain is yet unknown. If we don’t know that, how can we know that there is not a less toxic or even cheaper means by which we can do the same thing? Or for that matter, how can we know that this unknown mechanism is not harmful to the body in some significant way?

While upper cervical care is not a treatment for bad backs, it is good for the overall health of the body. Whenever you do anything that is good for your overall health, your whole body benefits. When you get a good night’s sleep, you are more energetic, more coordinated and more clear minded. Exercise, diet and rest obviously play a significant role in lessening back pain, not because they are effective treatments, but because they are good for the body. They promote health. Likewise, while back pain may improve under upper cervical care, it is not because upper cervical care is good for bad backs. Upper cervical care is good for your whole body. So have your spine checked periodically whether you have back pain or not.

Do You Really Want Health?

If Your Answer Is Yes, Upper Cervical Care Can Help You.

There is an old saying, “Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die to get there.” A similar statement could be made concerning health. In almost any survey taken asking people what they wanted most out of life, good health is one of the top three things on the list. Yet how many of us allow other less important things to keep us from attaining maximum health.

Most people who come into an Upper Cervical office desire to be healthy. Unfortunately, they often do not realize that it will take some effort on their part. The average person’s experience with medicine has led them to believe that they will be made healthy by what the doctor does to them or what he gives them. They can just sit back, do nothing or at most, remember to take their medication every four hours. While this approach may be effective treating disease, it has little to do with health.

Disease treatment is largely a passive activity. Health maintenance or health restoration is largely an active endeavor. Therein lies the problem. Sitting back and doing nothing will not promote or maintain health. Hoping or wishing for health will not make it happen. It must be actively pursued. A choice must be made.

Every individual has to establish his or her priorities. Is watching television more important than exercising for your health? Is eating poor quality food more important to you than spending the few extra dollars for good food?

Upper Cervical Care is also an active approach with the benefits of care occurring even after the adjustment, and like exercise and eating, they are far reaching. It is true you may feel good right after an upper cervical correction, but the real benefits are the long-term ones. When the body is working better it can actively promote health and well being and add years to life. Do you really want to be healthy? Sadly, too many people do not want to pay the price, which are time, money, and effort. You cannot expect to have good health unless you do those things necessary to attain it.

Only you can answer the questions put forth here and how you decide on these and other relative questions could very well determine your health, your happiness and your life.

Reminder For The New Year

It is never too early or too late to get into good health habits. As a doctor, I see patient after patient come into my office with the “baggage” from years of neglect. This amazes me sometimes because we are supposed to be living in a health conscious society. Health officials constantly give us advice on how to avoid health problems. Americans just don’t heed the warning. Let’s face it, we think that as long as we feel okay, nothing could possibly go wrong – we’re healthy. Although at the same time we think we’re healthy, most of us are abusing ourselves with the standard high fat, high sodium American diet along with the ever-strenuous daily remote control workout regime.

So, to help make sure YOU are healthy, the following steps are recommended:

1. Eat a healthy diet. Watch those saturated fats and low quality carbohydrates. If you are already overweight, decide today that you and your family are worth the effort to lose weight. Remember, strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure happen to people just like you everyday.

2. Exercise. You know why. I don’t have to tell you. Just Do It!

3. Rest well. We live incredibly busy lives. Be sure your sleep habits are consistent and your sleep surface is adequate to support your spine and limbs properly.

4. Eliminate unnecessary stress from your life. Some stress is good. It challenges and helps us to grow. Worrying, however, robs not only the quality of your life but also the quantity of your life. Negative people die young. They have nothing to live for. (Smile).

5. And last but not least…. (I saved the best for last): MAINTAIN YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SPINE. Did you know the nervous system controls the function of virtually every cell, tissue, organ, and system of your body? Upper Cervical Care concerns itself with the relationship between the nervous system and the function of the body (i.e. your health).

Remember, life is not a dress rehearsal. Choose abundant health in the new year!