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.)
 

TMJ And Upper Cervical Care.

Adapted from an article by MCA

When most people hear the acronym TMJ, they think of their dentist. But an upper cervical doctor can also help. TMJ stands for the Temporal-Mandibular Joint, which is where your jaw (mandible) contacts/connects with your skull (temporal bone). 

The most common symptoms associated with TMJ dysfunction are pain with chewing, clicking or popping of the jaw. But many other symptoms can be caused from TMJ dysfunction including: headaches, fatigue, sleep disturbances, irritability, a loss in focus, ringing in ears, head and neck tension, sinus congestion and ear infections. 

Causes of TMJ dysfunction include blunt trauma to head/neck, fall/ hit onto chin (commonly seen in children), slip/fall on tailbone causing compensatory effects up the spine and into the cranial bones, whiplash/car accidents, and prolonged desk work/forward head posture.

Understanding the relationship between proper function of the upper cervical spine and how that can influence the TMJ is helpful. Upper cervical doctors are trained in identifying and correcting the upper cervical spine. Specific upper cervical corrections are essential to restoring structural balance and providing proper function and neurological integrity. If left uncorrected, dysfunction can lead to grinding of teeth, facial asymmetry, additional stress upon the spinal column, and an increase in current symptoms. 

(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.)

Post Polio Syndrome And Upper Cervical Care

(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 Post Polio Syndrome or any other condition, disease or symptom.)

Post Polio Syndrome, the Brain Stem and the Upper Neck

by Dr. Bill Davis

What happens to the human body as a result of an head/neck misalignment is variable. One patient may develop Migraine Headaches another Lower back Pain and still another pain in the face or digestive problems.

Why is that?

The short answer is that the brain is changed.

When the spinal column is misaligned as a result of problems in the upper neck it begins a cascade of events that contributes to poor health.

Frequently it begins with accidents and injuries that tear loose the connective tissue that holds the spine in place in the upper neck. This creates a weakness which allows the spine to breakdown and lock into a stressed position. The head will frequently tilt to one side, the shoulders will tilt. Standing up one of the hips will be higher than the other due to uneven muscle pulling, lying down one of the legs will be shorter than the other due to spastic contracture of the muscles around the pelvis.

Once the structure of the body is in this misaligned position pressure begins to develop into the nervous system beginning in the lower part of the brain where it enters the spinal cord at the level of the Atlas (top bone in the spine). And extending down from there into the spinal nerves that go into the legs and arms and into all internal organs.

So what does this all have to do with Post Polio?

If you had Polio as a child and years later you began developing strange symptoms that are being traced back to the original Polio virus than you may have been told that there is not much that they can do for you.

But if there is problems in the body as a result of a trauma to your head, neck or spine and there was some underlying neurological problems as a result of the damage from the Polio, than the combination of the two issues may lead to the symptoms of post polio.

Problems in the upper neck at the level of the atlas cause dysfunction into the brain stem. Brain stem dysfunction has been linked to the development of post polio syndrome as Dr. Susan Pearlman of the UCLA Post Polio Clinic has stated in her work looking at Polio above the neck.

When the underlying spinal problems in the upper neck are corrected and brain stem function is improved amazing things happen with a variety of different body systems including many of those connected to post polio and the lower brain stem including improvement in:

Fatigue
Joint Pain
Muscle Pain and Weakness
Atrophy
Cold Intolerance
Breathing Problems
Problems Swallowing
Blood Pressure Changes

In my Upper Cervical office I have seen changes in all of these symptoms in those with Post Polio and other conditions as well when the underlying injuries to the upper neck are corrected and allowed to heal.

So have you been diagnosed with Post Polio Syndrome?

Do you have a history of head, neck or spine trauma?

What would happen to your body if that pressure that has developed from the upper neck problems were removed?

Would you get better?

Only one way to find out…have an upper cervical analysis in an upper cervical care office.

Find out more info at www.nuccawellness.com or www.nucca.org or www.upcspine.com.

Multiple Sclerosis and Upper Cervical Care: Results, Discussions and Conclusions

Editor's Note: This is the last of a seven post series where I have shared 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.

RESULTS

At their first upper cervical chiropractic office visits, computerized thermal scans showed thermal asymmetries and cervical radiographs showed upper cervical misalignments in all five subjects. Because these exam findings indicated upper cervical injuries, all five patients consented to upper cervical chiropractic care. The five subjects underwent upper cervical care for a minimum of four months and a maximum of two years at the time of this paper's submission for publication. Before the intervention of upper cervical chiropractic care, four out of the five patients (Cases 2 through 5) showed patterns of constant, progressive MS symptoms for a minimum of six months. After upper cervical care, MS symptoms were improved or corrected, including L'hermitte's Sign, paresthesias, pain, balance, muscle weakness, bladder control, bowel control, cognitive ability, vision loss, insomnia, dizziness, and fatigue. The only case that followed the typical MS relapse-remit pattern, Case 1, had a history of MS relapses once per year for nine years. After the intervention of upper cervical care, this subject had no further relapses and remained symptom-free for two years. Therefore, results of the five cases indicated that upper cervical chiropractic care prevented the progression of MS, stopped the MS relapse pattern, and improved and/or reversed symptoms of

DISCUSSION

An important parallel in the MS patients' medical histories was their recollection of head and/or neck trauma(s) prior to the onset of MS (also mentioned in the Palmer case described in the Introduction). All five patients remembered specific incidences of trauma preceding the onset of MS symptoms such as a fall on an icy sidewalk, an auto accident, and a ski accident. In addition, all five individuals showed evidence of upper cervical injury during exams (digital infrared imaging and cervical radiographs). The body of medical literature detailing a possible trauma-induced etiology for MS, or at least a contribution, is substantial. (33-35) In fact, medical research has established a connection between spinal trauma and numerous neurological conditions besides Multiple Sclerosis, including Parkinson's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), epilepsy, migraine headaches, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), vertigo, and bipolar disorder, to name a few. (36-43)

While medical research has shown that trauma may lead to MS and the other neurological conditions mentioned above, no mechanism has been defined. It is the author's hypothesis that the missing link may be the injury to the upper cervical spine. While various theories have been proposed to explain the effects of chiropractic adjustments, a combination of several theories seems most likely to explain the profound changes seen in these MS patients due to upper cervical chiropractic care. After a spinal injury, central nervous system (CNS) facilitation can occur from an increase in afferent signals to the spinal cord and/or brain coming from articular mechanoreceptors. (44-48) The upper cervical spine is uniquely suited to this condition because it possesses inherently poor biomechanical stability along with the greatest concentration of spinal mechanoreceptors.

Hyperafferent activation (through CNS facilitation) of the sympathetic vasomotor center in the brainstem and/or the superior cervical ganglion may lead to changes in cerebral blood flow, including ischemia. (49-55) Because of the close association between the nervous and immune systems (the immune system recently has been reclassified as the neuroimmune system), upper cervical injuries affecting sympathetic function consequently may cause a cascade of non-favorable immune responses. (56-58) Among these are uncoordinated immune tissue responses (auto-immune responses) and the release of cortisol, which ultimately can result in decreased immune function.

It is likely that the five MS patients sustained injuries to their upper cervical spines (visualized on cervical radiographs) during spinal traumas they experienced. It is also likely that due to the injuries, through the mechanisms described previously, sympathetic malfunction occurred (measured by paraspinal digital infrared imaging), possibly causing decreases in cerebral blood flow. Consequently, because the nervous and immune systems are so closely intertwined, it is possible that CNS facilitation and cerebral ischemia could have stimulated an auto-immune response such as myelin destruction. According to the results of each of the five patients discussed in this report, it seems correction of the upper cervical injury not only stopped but also reversed the pathological processes involved in MS. However, few conclusions can be drawn from a small number of cases. Therefore, further research is recommended to study the link between trauma, the upper cervical spine, and neurological disease.

CONCLUSION

All five patients discussed in this report recalled experiencing head or neck trauma(s) prior to the onset of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. In all five cases, evidence of upper cervical injury was found using paraspinal digital infrared imaging and upper cervical radiographs. After IUCCA upper cervical chiropractic care, all five cases reviewed revealed improvements in Multiple Sclerosis symptoms. In fact, correction of the five patients' upper cervical injuries appeared to stimulate a reversal in the progression of MS symptoms. To the author's knowledge, these are the first cases reported on this topic using thermal imaging and knee-chest adjustments since Palmer's research seventy years ago. Further investigation into upper cervical injury and resulting neuropathophysiology as a possible etiology or contributing factor to Multiple Sclerosis should be pursued.

Multiple Sclerosis and Upper Cervical Care: Case 4

Editor's Note: This is the fifth 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 4

History: This 55-year-old female was diagnosed with MS nine years ago at age 46 after an MRI confirmed active brain lesions. Her symptoms included painful paresthesia of her left arm, fatigue, mental confusion, insomnia, and lack of coordination of her right arm and leg. All symptoms progressively worsened over the nine-year period. Seven years after her diagnosis, a follow-up MRI confirmed the addition of new active lesions. Due to the fatigue, confusion, and pain, she had been on disability leave from work for several years.

Exam: During this patient's initial exam, she complained of extreme pain in her left arm, requiring multiple doses per day of pain medication (neurontin). She also took daily medication for sleeping (klonopin) and energy level (amantadine) due to her insomnia and fatigue. Her handwriting coordination (right-handed) was poor so she preferred using a computer. Cervical radiographs depicted a misalignment of her atlas to the right and posterior. Computerized thermal imaging revealed thermal asymmetries of 0.5ºC.

Outcome: During the first week of upper cervical care, this subject noticed an increase in energy level. One month later, she no longer noticed arm pain. Consequently, she consulted with her neurologist to reduce her pain medication. Her pain medication was reduced by two-thirds and she had no occurrences of arm pain. This patient also reported a continued increase in energy level and a renewed sense of mental clarity, so she considered looking for a part-time job. She felt "more alert and energized" and her "mind was clear." Four months after the start of upper cervical care her condition continued to improve without any relapses.

Summary: For the nine years prior to upper cervical care, this patient suffered from a chronic, progressive worsening of MS symptoms. Since the intervention of upper cervical care, this individual experienced improvements in MS symptoms and required less medication.