Falls, The Elderly And Upper Cervical Care

Falls among elderly lead to early death and disability

By Dr. Marcella Ziska

Falls are a leading cause of accidental death and disability among older Americans. In fact, over 60% of all accidental injury deaths in the elderly are the direct result of falling. Of the seniors who end up hospitalized as a result of a fall, 40-50% will end up entering a permanent care facility and lose most of their independence.

As more Americans are getting older, accidental falls are taking a costly toll on our health care system, and on the family members who must care for those who are injured.

The estimated cost of health care directly related to a fall is $6-8 billion annually.

The reasons why seniors fall can be complex and confusing for doctors, family members, and for the victim of the fall. Many times it's difficult to figure out what happened.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other leading health authorities state that prevention is the best way to protect ourselves and our aging family members from being harmed in a fall.

Why are the elderly at risk for falling?

Declining vision.

Mix of Rx medications and over-the- counter medications, including alcohol, leads to impaired movement and ability to think clearly.

Weakness in lower limbs from lack of activity, or from certain diseases.

Chronic pain and reduced range of motion (arthritis) affecting body balance.

Blood pressure too low when moving from seated to standing.

Balance control by the nervous system declines (Vertigo).

Improper footwear.

Obstacles left in common walking areas, or slippery walking surfaces.

Middle of the night bathroom trips.

Forgetting to use walking aids, or using them improperly.


Falls in the aging: what's the common theme? Posture & Gait

Almost all falls are caused by multiple problems. But the body's control of posture and gait (walking) play a role a majority of the time.

Posture control involves a complex system of signals from the brain to the body, and from the body back to the brain. It includes: spinal reflexes, information from vision, information from the equilibrium system of the body (the vestibular system) and information from the "sensing" systems in our skin and muscles.

Posture can also affect our gait, which is how far we stride, how fast, and the rhythm (speed) at which we move.

For many different reasons, the control of our posture, and the control of our gait begins to break down as we age. That doesn't mean falling is "normal," it just means it's more likely to happen.

Anything that improves our body posture, strength, and symmetry can potentially help improve our balance. Improving balance can help reduce the risk of falling.

What improves balance?

Strengthening muscles: specific exercises that work the leg and feet muscles involved in standing and walking can help our balance.

Stimulating the "sensing" part of the nervous system: Unique approaches to stimulating the "sensing" part of the nervous system are being used across the United States. Vibration boards and unique exercise pads stimulate the proprioceptive part of the nervous system, the system that knows our position.

Improving spinal balance: Misalignments in the spinal column, especially in the balance between the head and the neck, force our bodies to adapt to an unbalanced and stressed position. Signs of this disturbance include:

a head tilted to one side or carried too far forward

uneven shoulders

uneven hip height

uneven leg length

straightened curves in the neck

carrying more weight on one side of the body than the other when checking on bilateral digital scales


We can unlock this "lockdown" by correcting the way the neck is carrying the heavy weight of the head with gentle upper cervical chiropractic care (NUCCA). The goal is to get the "head on straight" and take stress off the spinal column. With this approach to spinal balance:

leg length balances

hip heights even

the head is straighter

balance is more equally carried by the feet


Upper cervical chiropractic as a solution for fall prevention

Due to the gentle nature of the upper cervical chiropractic adjustment, it is usually indicated for senior adults. Because of its to ability to improve spinal balance and motion, and because it often results in less pain and better range of motion, this form of chiropractic care represents an important tool in fall prevention for the elderly.

Dr. Marcella Ziska is an upper cervical chiropractor in Omaha, NE (Body in Harmony Chiropractic Center) who uses the gentle method of the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association to analyze and adjust the upper cervical spine. She greatly enjoys serving senior adult patients with upper cervical chiropractic (NUCCA) care.

Are You One Surge Away From Sickness?

Adapted from "Surging Your Way to Sickness" by the Weekly Sticky

What would happen if you plugged 10 appliances in one outlet and turned them all on at the same time?  You'd blow a circuit, right! Well, the same thing could happen if you surge your 'nerve circuits' with too much STRESS...

Picture your nerve system as an electrical outlet with multiple stresses plugged in. Turn on all those stresses at the same time and POW, you'll quickly overload your system, blow a circuit and fry your state of health! Upper Cervical Chiropractors call this head/neck misalignment. Depending on what nerves (circuits) are involved, you can experience symptoms from mild aches and pains to more significant health problems like High Blood Pressure (Journal of Human Hypertension 22,1 G Bakris, MD et al). So how can you avoid the dangers of stress surge?

Although it's impossible to eliminate all stress from your life, you can increase your odds of  staying ahead of their negative, accumulative effects with regular upper cervical care.  Your Upper Cervical Chiropractor performs his or her job much like an electrician... skillfully checking your nerve system for overloaded circuits and turning them back on so you won't experience an interruption in your state of health and wellness. When it comes to basic, preventative care, nothing beats 'keeping your Power on.'

One Parkinson's Patient and Upper Cervical Care

Parkinson's Sufferer has Quality of Life Significantly Improved Under (Upper Cervical Care)

The July 30, 2012, issue of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study documenting the improvement of a Parkinson’s patient using chiropractic care.

The author of the study begins by reporting that in the United States, 50,000-60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are diagnosed each year. It is estimated that over one million people currently suffer from this chronic and progressive disorder.

According to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, "Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that progresses slowly in most people. What this means is that individuals with PD will be living with PD for twenty years or more from the time of diagnosis. While Parkinson’s disease itself is not fatal, the Centers for Disease Control rated complications from the disease as the 14th top cause of death in the United State."

In this case, a 63-year-old male pastoral counselor complaining of resting tremors of the right hand, anxiety and stabbing middle back pain, went to the (upper cervical doctor). His complaints started a year and a half earlier and seemed to start shortly after he suffered a severe case of the flu that lasted 2-3 weeks which caused him to lose 15 pounds. Due to his symptoms, he was diagnosed by a neurologist with Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

At the time the pastoral counselor presented himself for an evaluation, he appeared frail, had a low tone of voice, and had reduced facial expressions. He stated that he also works as a marriage counselor which increases his daily stress level, and he had been experiencing restless leg syndrome at least twice a week for the past two years which affected his ability to get quality sleep.

Multiple examination procedures and x-rays confirmed the presence of (head/neck misalignment and resulting neurological interference), most notably at the level of the top bone in the neck, the atlas. A specific course of corrective adjustments was initiated to correct the (misalignment and the resulting interference).

Following his first adjustment, the man noted an improvement in his tremors. After a week of care, he also reported an increase in energy. The study records that by the end of the second week of care, he had a greater range of motion in his neck and higher level of energy, allowing him to complete his week of work and participate in extra activities on that weekend. Shortly afterwards, his mid back pain also stopped.

In his conclusion the author wrote, "We conclude that improvement of the Atlas alignment was associated with reduction of most of his Parkinson’s symptoms including decrease in frequency and intensity of his middle back pain, improvement in his quality of life and improvement in his motor function."

(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.)

Six Big Differences With Upper Cervical Care

Six things upper cervical doctors do differently than other chiropractors

by Anthony Rumsey, DC

Upper cervical doctors are different than other chiropractors. To help you understand the differences, here are the top six ways your upper cervical doctor will be different than any other doctor of chiropractic that you will see.

1. Won’t adjust you without x-rays.

Your upper cervical doctor uses x-rays to create a unique formula to adjust you based on your body’s unique anatomy.

There are many areas of the spine whose motion can help guide a chiropractic adjustment. The low back and the mid-back, for example, have built in motion pathways created by the shape of their joints. But there is a lot more room for movement and error in the upper neck. So it is the perspective of upper cervical doctors that the junction of the head and the neck cannot be accurately adjusted without measuring and noting your unique anatomy on an accurate x-ray.

2. Measure your body’s posture and/or nervous system function every time you come into the office.

As much as possible, upper cervical doctors use objective measures of your body’s function to help guide the clinical decision making process. Your upper cervical doctor may indirectly measure nerve function using paraspinal thermography (heat reading). Or he or she may visualize your in-alignment versus your out-of-alignment posture with a number of different tools that help measure hip height or rotation, shoulder height, and the lean (or list) of the spine.

3. Won’t adjust you at every single visit.

Upper cervical doctors think differently about the purpose of the adjustment than many other chiropractors. In other chiropractic systems, multiple adjustments over many visits are expected, and are helpful. The upper cervical doctor, however, believes that “holding” the adjustment is more important than just receiving it. Healing comes from holding your new alignment. Therefore, the upper cervical doctor will only adjust your upper cervical spine when your body shows objective signs of needing an adjustment.

If your upper cervical doctor is adjusting at every visit for many visits in a row, it is a sign that things are not going as well as they should be.

4. Measure the effectiveness of the adjustment after it is delivered.

Your upper cervical doctor will conduct one or more post-adjustment checks every time you get an upper cervical adjustment according to your adjustment formula. In some cases this may include one or two post-adjustment x-rays. This may be another thermographic scan, a measure of your posture, or some other functional test. Unlike other areas of the spine that snap, twist, and pop when the joint moves, the upper cervical adjustment intends to restore balance to a very delicate area of the body. The upper cervical doctor expects immediate changes in some parts of the body’s functions, and verifies it with a post-adjustment check.

If your upper cervical doctor is adjusting you and just sending you on your way, then he or she might not be an upper cervical doctor.

5. Always deliver a gentle adjustment.

The upper neck is a delicate area of the body. It’s natural for the body to lock up when you sense that someone is going to push, pull, poke or prod this area of neck. Because your body will resist an adjustment that is too strong, upper cervical doctors use gentle re-alignment procedures to bring the head and neck into better balance. Your upper cervical doctor will always deliver a gentle adjustment.

6. Almost always concentrates on head-to-neck balance.

There are many reasons upper cervical doctors started calling themselves upper cervical doctors, in addition to using the word “chiropractor.” One major reason is how few chiropractors there really are using a specific adjusting protocol to re-align the head-to-neck area of the spine. Another reason is because the name fits: upper cervical doctors will spend 99% of their time helping your head-to-neck alignment because of how important it is to your body’s expression of life, health, and longevity…and because of how vulnerable the area is to injury.

Unlike the stronger areas of the spine which have an inter-vertebral disc, there are weaker interlocking joints at the top of the neck. The whole thing mostly stays in balance from strong muscles and ligaments. Like any other muscles and ligaments, these upper cervical muscles and ligaments are subject to accidents and injuries which can threaten the normal balance of the head-to-neck area, and disrupt the body’s normal functions.

Ten Reasons To Try Upper Cervical Care

Ten reasons to try NUCCA upper cervical care

By Dr. Deb Sesker

 

1.

In the united states, upper cervical care has helped hundreds of thousands of people overcome health challenges and live fuller, more enjoyable lives—even when other health strategies have not helped.

2.

While upper cervical care is not a treatment for any one particular condition, a new alignment of the head and neck can remove subtle pressure from the nervous system that results in greater body healing. Over 100 different human conditions have responded to upper cervical care. You can read about some of them on the patient created site called UpCSpine.

3.

Upper cervical doctors work with a powerful area of the body, where the head and neck come into balance with each other. Unlike the stronger areas of the spine which have an inter-vertebral disc, there are weaker interlocking joints at the top of the neck. The whole thing mostly stays in balance from strong muscles and ligaments. Like any other muscles and ligaments, these upper cervical muscles and ligaments are subject to accidents and injuries which can threaten the normal balance of the head-to-neck area, and disrupt the body’s normal functions.

4.

Upper cervical care is gentle, and does not yank, pull, or twist the head and the neck.

5.

Most upper cervical doctors use a non-invasive technique for improving health, which does not include any drugs, surgery, or repeated manipulations of the spine.

6.

Your upper cervical care works with other health care options, so you can continue with your prescribed medications, your physical therapy, your nutritional supplementation, acupuncture, or other body work—just so long as your other practitioners do not manipulate the head, neck, or joints of the spine. If there are any questions about whether your other health care will interfere with the upper cervical protocol, just ask us.

7.

Upper cervical care has been featured on TheDoctors, ABC’s Good Morning America, Discovery Health, and PBS’ Chicago tonight for its ability to help with multiple sclerosis symptoms, head injuries, and high blood pressure.

8.

Upper cervical doctors and research organizations are involved in some of the most interesting studies on the importance of the spine to human health. For a sample of these projects, which look at more than just back pain, visit the Upper Cervical Research Foundation.

9.

Upper cervical doctors are often dedicated to advanced education in caring for the upper cervical spine, and will pursue certification in their upper cervical protocol.

10.

Upper cervical doctors are passionate about their work, and care deeply about helping people get well. With only a few percent of practicing chiropractors using a specific protocol for head-to-neck balance, upper cervical doctors are dedicated to technical excellence, and patient satisfaction with their care.

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(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 And Sleep Disorders?

Sleep Disorders

At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleep problems. Of the 70 known sleep disorders, the most common are:

Insomnia, the most prevalent of the sleep disorders, is characterized by an inability to fall asleep and/or by waking up during the night and having difficulty going back to sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a potentially life-threatening disorder in which breathing is interrupted during sleep. An estimated 12 million Americans have OSA.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neurological movement disorder that often is associated with unpleasant leg sensations and an almost irresistible urge to move the legs.

Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive and overwhelming daytime sleepiness, even after adequate nighttime sleep. Daytime sleep attacks may occur with or without warning and may be uncontrollable.

Many Americans struggle through episodes of sleep disorders on their own, while others may use over-the-counter drugs, prescription drugs, or sleeping devices to combat them. A growing number of people are seeking Upper Cervical Care with great success while avoiding the potential side affects or dependence on outside means.


Sleep and Overall Health

People spend about one third of their lives asleep. Nonetheless, people generally know little about the importance of sleep. Even scientists do not fully understand the function of sleep. They do agree, however, it is absolutely essential for good physical and mental health and for survival.

Loss of sleep creates an overwhelming, and sometimes uncontrollable, need to sleep and affects virtually all-physiological functions. Problem sleepiness is associated with difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, complex thought, loss of energy, fatigue, lethargy, impaired motor response and emotional instability. Problem sleepiness can even be deadly. Approximately 100,000 automobile accidents each year result from drivers who were “asleep at the wheel.”

The functions of many organ systems are linked to sleep cycles, like the endocrine system (hormone secretion), the renal system (blood filtering) and alimentary activity (digestion). Studies also show that sleep deprivation affects the immune system in detrimental ways. In addition, sleep loss can alter temperature regulation and increase the risk for various physical and mental disorders.


Sleep and The Brain Stem

Sleep is a highly organized sequence of events that follows a regular, cyclic program each night. It is controlled and coordinated in the brain stem and brain. The brain stem region, known as the pons, is critical for initiating REM sleep (the dream cycle).

The brain stem, which can be compared to a telephone cable with thousands of individual wires or nerve fibers sending signals between the brain and the body, controls nearly all vital, bodily functions. Misalignments in the upper cervical spine (neck) can affect the function of the brain stem, which can be a critical factor in many health problems including sleep disorders.

Misalignments may be caused by a number of things, including bumps, falls, car accidents and emotional stress, just to name a few. Health problems may appear immediately after the injury or several years later.


Upper Cervical Care and Sleep Disorders

Upper Cervical doctors are getting exceptional results with patients suffering with sleep disturbances. Clinical trials and case studies document the improvement in patients with sleep disorders while receiving Upper Cervical Care.

Disclaimer: (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 sleep disorders or any other condition, disease or symptom.)

Upper Cervical Care: Helping Kids With Scoliosis

Can you Protect your Children from Scoliosis?

By Dr. Bill Davis

The Problem

“Scoliosis is a disorder that causes an abnormal curve of the spine, or backbone. The spine has normal curves when looking from the side, but it should appear straight when looking from the front.” (see picture) www.emedicine.net According to WebMD “In about 80% of cases, the cause of scoliosis is not known.” 80%! Wow that is a lot! In 8/10 of the people who have been diagnosed with scoliosis or curvature in the spine the medical profession have no clue what causes it.

Generally, the scoliosis is found when a child is examined for scoliosis in middle school. But frequently scoliosis is undetected until adulthood. Regardless, the earlier the curvature can be found the better. If it is identified at 13 years of age and it is already 15 degrees…it would have been much better to find it at 7 years of age when it was 8 degrees don’t you think? Especially if the underlying cause can be corrected and the progression of the scoliosis can be stopped. Also the earlier the scoliosis is identified the more likely the condition can be reversed.

Scoliosis has psychological consequences as well as physical consequences. Self image can be negatively impacted, especially in the formative adolescent years. Scoliosis can be so mild that an untrained eye cannot see the curve, or it can be severe enough to cause deformity. Children are often made fun of as a result of these deformities.

The physical consequences are much worse though. People with scoliosis are a greater risk of developing heart problems, breathing problems, osteoporosis, accelerated disc degeneration and spinal pain, reproductive function and pregnancy problems can be just some of the consequences associated with untreated scoliosis.

The medical approach has 3 main strategies. Wait until it gets worse! Put a brace on the entire trunk for up to 23 hours a day! Or dangerous surgery! Doesn’t sound like fun to me! Which of these approaches gets to the underlying cause?…none of them? The medical approach is focused on the effects and not the cause obviously.

The Upper Neck Connection

Two medical doctors from Europe have done extensive research into upper neck problems in newborns and how that relates to the health of children. Dr. Gutmann was researching the connection all the way back to the 1960′s… in 1987 Dr. Gutmann published his research linking the upper neck to problems ranging from scoliosis to ear infections, torticollis, colic and many other common childhood conditions.
Dr. Biedermann also has published extensively on this subject and published his findings in 1992. Between the 2 medical researchers they have studied over 1000 newborns and have observed a very high incidence of upper cervical misalignments on x-ray. Gutmann found over 80% in his study had problems in the upper neck that needed to be addressed! Birth trauma was the most common cause. Forceps delivery, vacuum extraction and even just normal birthing methods with a woman flat on her back rather than in the standing position where gravity can work, can be an extremely traumatic experience for the head and neck of a newborn.

It is reported that within the general population the incidence of Scoliosis is about 2.5% or about 25 per 1000 people. However, that is only the people who are identified as having scoliosis and it only includes those that have a 10 degree curvature or more. A 7,8, or 9 degree scoliosis can still have dramatic affects on the health of a person’s spine and body. Also many individuals have no idea that they have a curvature in their spine until adulthood. I have seen patients in my office who are in their 60′s who were unaware of a 10-15 degree scoliosis!

If the weight of the head is not balanced over the spinal column due to accidents and injuries to the upper neck this can result in postural changes including head tilt, shoulder tilt, hips uneven, and leg imbalance. The earlier the child develops this upper neck misalignment the more likely it is for them to develop a scoliosis when they hit their growth spurt.

A Solution

Early detection is the key to stopping the progression and possibly correct the scoliosis completely. All children should be evaluated after birth and regularly thoroughout the childhood years for the presence of an upper neck misalignment that could start this process in their spine. If a curvature is detected than the misalignment should be corrected as soon as possible. If the scoliosis is already very advanced due to lack of evaluation, than the misalignment should still be corrected and maintained and postural exercises should be given in order to prevent future progression. The longer the curvature has been there the more likely it will be to not correct completely.

(Editor's note: Certainly some people, especially young people, who have head/neck misalignment and have it corrected will experience drastic improvements in scoliosis. However, please 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 scoliosis or any other 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.

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.

Why Didn't I Know About Upper Cervical Care?

Why didn't I know?

By Dr. Andy Gibson

Recently, an 8 year old little girl came into our office with the following list of health issues: chronic ear infections, nosebleeds, constipation and restlessness. She didn't eat very well or often. From the outside, she looked like a "normal" little girl. But underneath the surface, she was very sick and heading for a lifetime of health issues. When I explained to her grandma about the upper neck bone, the atlas, being subluxated, or out of its proper alignment with the skull, she was a little confused. She wondered how it may have gotten that way. After some investigative work, it was determined there was a strong correlation with the forceps-assisted delivery and her current status of health. HOW? Simple. During a "normal birth, the neck of the infant is stretched and twisted upwards of 2x the normal length. Now with the use of forceps, that force is substantially increased. The bottom line: Little "Kayla" was subluxated from day one. And for the next 8 years, her little body fought to keep her healthy. At age 1, it was colic. Age 2, the ear infections began. Age 4-7, the nosebleeds and constipation set in.

Two weeks have passed since her 1st upper cervical adjustment. "kayla" has been adjusted 2 times. In just over 14 days, she has no more nosebleeds, eats like a horse (remember it was a chore for her to eat most anything), has been to the bathroom numerous times per day and is finally sleeping through the night. As for the earaches, her grandma reports that all is well. Time will tell the rest of the story but for now, there are two parents, one grandma and a little girl whose lives have all just changed through the power of an upper cervical adjustment. At the end of the visit, the grandma asked the question we hear almost daily: "Why didn't I know about Upper Cervical?" Now you do.

Upper Cervical Care And Emotional Stress

Upper cervical doctors often talk about the fact that physical, chemical, and emotional stresses can cause problems in the spine and interfere with proper function in the body. People have no problem understanding how a physical stress, such as falling, lifting, or repeated motions, can cause trouble. While chemical stresses may be a little more difficult to understand, after a little explanation people see how chemicals and poisons in the body affect the spinal musculature and can also cause problems. Today, more than ever, we are hearing about the effect that emotional stress can have on the body. People understand the link between emotional stress and ulcers, heart disease and headaches. Similarly, emotional stress can result in head/neck misalignment. There are probably a number of mechanisms but research done at Ohio State University a while back demonstrated some interesting results.

A group of college students repeatedly lifted 25-pound boxes while a special measuring device calculated the pressure on the students’ spines. During the first half of the experiment researchers offered words of encouragement to the participants while they were performing their tasks. In the second half of the experiment, the students were criticized, sort of like having your boss yelling at you while you are doing your job. While some of the students were not bothered at all, others, particularly introverted students who did not handle criticism well and who dislike repetitive work to start with, demonstrated an almost 27% increase in pressure on the spine. William Marras, professor of industrial engineering at OSU said, “What this shows is that there is a body-mind interaction that manifests itself as pressure on the spine.” The researchers were limiting their research to job-related pressure but they concluded that the same findings could occur “anywhere exertion and stress combine.” That could be the pressure of athletic competition or even non-physical stressful situations like talking on the phone with the head titled at an angle, sitting at a computer, or any kind of repetitive work while experiencing the pressures of your job.

Except for major physical traumas, it is likely that almost all head/neck misalignment, and the resulting nerve interference, occurs as a result of a combination of physical, chemical, and emotional stresses upon the body. That is why it is important to get your head/neck alignment checked periodically and corrected when needed.

The Problem With Progress

There is a real problem growing in the so-called health care system. One that is frightening to those of us who are involved in the delivery of health care. The problem is that as much as some people like to attack medicine and its shortcomings and dangers, the fact is that medical practice is becoming more and more effective every year. Now some may be wondering how that is a problem. If drugs are becoming more effective and less harmful, isn’t that good? If the side-effects of drugs are being diminished, isn’t that beneficial? If surgical procedures are safer today than they were 10 or 15 years ago, isn’t that wonderful? Heart by-pass was a serious life-threatening procedure in 1980. Today it is almost as routine as an appendectomy. If scientific medicine is able to develop new drugs that can relieve people’s ills for longer and longer periods of time, isn’t that progress? Shouldn’t we be thankful?

Well, in a sense it is helpful but not in the long run. If all we are doing is relieving people’s symptoms but not making them healthier, are we really making a difference? To feel more comfortable until you die may be a benefit to some but not for the many who are still years from their deaths. Let’s not mistake comfortable deaths with the full expression of health. If we have virtually wiped out smallpox and developed a new vaccine for chicken pox but AIDS is growing every year, have we really made any progress? A recent study has shown that if cancer were completely eliminated today (which is highly unlikely inasmuch as the incidence of the disease is increasing), the average life span would only be increased by less than 1.5 years.

Here is the danger--medical advances may lull us into believing either that we are healthier or that being healthy is not important as long as we are disease-free. Yet, ridding the world of a disease like cancer will only increase the life span at best by 1 1/2 years and perhaps not that much if other diseases take its place as the killers. Medicine’s progress is like the individual who cannot seem to live within a budget and is constantly using his credit card until it is “maxed out.” Then the credit card company tells him not to worry because his limit has been increased by $2,000. That is the worse thing that could happen to him. It will treat the symptom for a while longer, delaying the ultimate, which will be worse; he will have $2,000 more debt! But saddest of all, it will prevent him from addressing the real problem. His lifestyle and budget need to be altered.

Similarly the greatest danger of medicine is that it works. It relieves symptoms, treats disease and makes you feel better to the point that you think you are better. Unfortunately, it has little to do with health. Mastering bypass surgery will not encourage us to live healthier lives, which may lead to healthier hearts and thus prevent the very need for the surgery. Health is the real need. People need to know that true health comes from within. It consists of doing those things necessary to be healthy including eating right, getting the proper rest, exercising, keeping the body free from pollutants and maintaining a positive mental attitude. Most importantly, it includes being under periodic upper cervical care so that nerve interference due to head/neck misalignment is removed and the body’s self-healing, self-regulating principle, the innate intelligence, is free to be expressed to ensure that all of the above aspects of health care can be maximized. People need to know that.

Does Upper Cervical Care Prevent Disease?

The prevention of disease seems to be of major concern to many people these days. The public is beginning to exercise to prevent heart problems and cut down on cholesterol to prevent cardiovascular disease. They are quitting their smoking habits to prevent cancer, and on and on. Prevention of disease, however, perpetuates a very serious misconception concerning disease, that is that it has a single cause. If a lack of vitamin C were the cause of the common cold, taking vitamin C would prevent it. While resistance is dependent upon vitamin C, it also depends upon a number of other factors. That is why three children in a family can all drink their orange juice and two will get a cold and one will not. Resistance depends upon how well the body is working, how well it can utilize vitamin C, the amount of rest a person gets and, of course, the frequency of coming in contact with the virus. There are probably a dozen other factors as well, many of which we do not even know and some we cannot control.

If exercise prevented heart attacks, Jim Fixx, the guru of running, would not have had a fatal heart attack on one of his daily runs. There are people who smoke two packs of cigarettes a day for thirty years and do not get lung cancer. Conversely, there are people who never smoke a cigarette and die of lung cancer.

Here is the point. There is only one thing that is truly effective in preventing disease, that is staying healthy! The more things you do to promote your good health, the greater the likelihood of not ending up with a disease. Exercise is important, but it is only one piece of the health picture. Vitamin C and all the other aspects of good nutrition are another piece. Avoiding poisons like cigarette smoke is another. The more aspects of health that you address, the greater your probability of being healthy and the greater your chances of preventing disease.

Of course, maintaining the integrity of your nervous system is a vital part of health. That is where upper cervical care comes in. You should correct head/neck misalignment because it can interfere with the proper function of the nerve system. Besides directly improving the nerve supply, maintaining head/neck alignment also indirectly affects the other aspects of good health. If there is interference in your nervous system, you may not be able to properly utilize good nutrition or get the maximum benefits from exercise and rest. Your body will be less resistant to the poisons you cannot help but be exposed to, like second-hand cigarette smoke.

If you want to prevent disease, the proper attitude is not just doing certain things to prevent certain diseases. That is a futile approach. There are just too many diseases. The proper approach is to do those things necessary to be healthy. Perhaps if everybody were doing everything necessary to promote and maintain health, we would not have to worry about preventing disease. That seems to be the most intelligent idea.

Sharks, Tumors And Upper Cervical Care

One of the “breakthroughs” a while back in the war against disease is the use of shark cartilage as a treatment for cancer. That’s right! The cartilage of “Jaws” ground up into a powder or taken in liquid form is considered to be an effective treatment for certain tumors. Research has demonstrated that some tumors upon reaching a specific size will begin to secrete a chemical called “tumor angiogenesis factor” (TAF). This chemical causes blood vessels to form, which feed the tumor, which in turn grows, spreads and becomes lethal. If the blood vessels are not formed because the chemical is not produced, the tumor is benign. The tumor needs the nutrients that the blood supplies in order to grow. Here is where the shark comes in. Research indicates that shark cartilage inhibits the production of this chemical. Apparently, sharks have almost no incidence of cancer and, of course, their body structures are primarily cartilage.

As usual, the DT’s (Disease Treaters’) idea sounds good at first but then raises a number of questions. Is shark cartilage dangerous? Apparently the FDA has classified it as a food so its use is not regulated. Does it offer a cure or is it temporary? It seems that when the treatment was cut back in research animals that had cancer, tumors began to grow again. But more important than the questions, which have been raised, is the fact that the disease-treating approach continues to take us in the wrong direction. Does it really make sense that mankind has been plagued with what is perhaps the most horrible of all diseases and that the cure has been hidden in the cartilage of what is perhaps the most horrible of all creatures, not to be found until the 90’s? I do not think so! Like every disease with which mankind suffers, the cure is not found in the depths of the ocean but in man himself. The ability to get well must come from within. Shark cartilage may inhibit the growth of a tumor but the body must restore proper function. It may be another effective treatment of a particular disease but it has little to do with health.

The real benefit of the research into shark cartilage is that it reinforces the correctness of the inside-out approach to health. While it may have been proven that the tumor produces TAF, which enables it to grow, apparently most people’s bodies produce a chemical that neutralizes the TAF, at least up to a certain age. This indicates that the body does have the wherewithal to fight off potentially cancerous tumors before they can take hold. If the chemistry of the body is functioning as it should, cancer is not a fear. Rather than trying to find drugs or shark cartilage to change body chemistry in order to fight cancer, it would seem to be more sensible to keep your body’s chemistry working as perfectly as possible and thereby increase your potential to stay healthy. If we can do that, our incidence of cancer is bound to decrease and we can leave the sharks in the sea where they belong.

Maintaining head/neck alignment and brain to body communication with periodic upper cervical care promotes a healthier body physically, chemically, emotionally and intellectually.

Optimal Communication Crucial To Life

Q. How important is it for your brain and body to be able to communicate?

A. Well, if it doesn’t happen at all your dead. So the answer is…VERY IMPORTANT!

Q. If it is THAT IMPORTANT than is it ALSO IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE to check the strength of communication periodically to make sure that it is working to its highest potential?

A. The Answer…Well Yes.

Bet you never thought about how important that communication is. My specialty, as an Upper Cervical Doctor, is to assess how well this important communication is functioning and, if needed, make a correction to it.

So what we have here is something that is extremely important to everyone to keep tabs on and Upper Cervical Care, a procedure designed to aid in that effort. What could be better?

Remember, Upper Cervical Care is not a treatment for anything and it doesn’t cure anything only the body can heal. Example: If I give care in the form of chiropractic, drugs, or surgery to a dead body what happens? NOTHING! So who really does the healing? YOU DO!

Upper Cervical Care is about giving your body the best chance to be its’ best by opening the communication line (Head/Neck Alignment) between the brain and the body. The body can, will, and does do the rest. Doesn’t everyone (from birth to death) deserve that chance?

We are here to serve, to share, and to give of ourselves so that everyone has that chance. How many people will get that chance? That’s up to you! Please share this with everyone you know. Their life may just depend on it!

Don't Understand Upper Cervical Care?

IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND …
By Dr. Daniel Clark

If you don’t understand why correcting head/neck mis-alignment can reactivate brain to body communication and help resolve most health problems … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand what causes head/neck mis-alignments to occur … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand how the “leg check” can help determine if there is head/neck mis-alignment … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand why it is essential for upper cervical doctors to have precision x-rays to develop a specific correction formula for each patient ... then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand that each upper cervical corection formula is as individual to that patient as their fingerprints ... then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand why precision x-rays are as essential to the upper cervical doctor as eyes are to the brain surgeon ...then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand the value of regular check-up visits although a corrective adjustment is not made … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand why efficient brain to body communication is essential
in order for the body to regain and maintain good health … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand the difference between Upper Cervical Corrective Health Care and other types of Chiropractic treatments … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand why head/neck mis-alignment is always there before the pain starts … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand the importance of Upper Cervical Maintenance Health Care … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand how Upper Cervical Corrections can help resolve most health problems … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand that inefficient brain to body communication could be the direct or indirect cause of most health problems … then keep asking questions until you do!

If you don’t understand why Upper Cervical Corrective Health Care
is a full health care service for all people, young and old … then keep asking questions until you do!

It is a Fact! ...
HEAD/NECK ALIGNMENT AND EFFiCIENT BRAIN TO BODY COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH.

Why Is Upper Cervical Care So Effective?

A SIMPLE AND LOGICAL EXPLANATION!!

By Dr. Daniel Clark

Seldom do we experience a single health problem. It’s usually a major problem associated with other minor problems. There is a very simple and logical reason why this happens.

This example will explain:

Visualize a lush, green and healthy vegetable garden. Suddenly some areas of the garden fail to receive adequate water. You know what happens! The vegetables will begin to wilt and in time will die if they are not getting adequate water. All areas of the garden must receive adequate water in order to stay green and healthy. This is also true of the body. All parts of the body must receive adequate brain health and healing messages in order to stay healthy. Lack of brain to body communication to some parts of the body can cause health problems to develop the same as lack of water to some areas will affect the vegetable garden.

Another simple example:

You fall and break your arm….The doctor sets the bone and puts the arm in a cast. Six to eight weeks later the cast is removed and the broken bone has healed, because the brain directed the healing process!

It is a fact:

Without brain healing messages the broken bone would never heal. Head and neck misalignment, at the point where the head and neck join, can disrupt or distort the flow of brain healing messages. When this happens, health problems begin to develop in that part of the body not receiving adequate healing messages.

The Upper Cervical Spinal Correction is designed to correct head/neck misalignment and re-activate brain to body communication. Immediately after the correction is made, muscles begin to relax, blood and oxygen circulation is increased, the immune system is enhanced, brain healing messages flow to the affected area and the body’s natural self-healing process begins.

Unrestricted brain to body communication will help the body maintain natural health and healing. The doctor’s primary objective is to help each patient maintain head/neck alignment to prevent any interference in brain to body communication, so they can live pain free and enjoy a better quality of life.

What You Can Do To Get (And Stay) Well

The Secret of Brain to Body Communication

By Dr. Daniel Clark

One of the world's best kept secrets - the key to enjoying a better quality of life - and living pain free without the use of drugs is within your reach.

The secret is a relatively unknown yet simple scientific procedure that maintains head and neck alignment which in turn, allows the brain to communicate efficiently with all parts of the body without interference. The secret is best known as UPPER CERVICAL CORRECTIVE HEALTH CARE.

The human body is a complex creation with a phenomenal ability to heal itself - given the right conditions.

The brain, like a powerful computer system controls and monitors all bodily functions. Brain messages; signals from the brain to the body are the medium used to communicate instructions from the brain to the different body parts. These brain messages move in a vast network of connections, our nervous system, which allows the brain to communicate with even the most remote part of the body.

A vast and complex network

• This vast network of connections shuttles millions of health and healing messages per second back and forth to all parts of the body.

• These messages govern the thousands of functions that keep our body operational.

• We can't feel the messages. We can't see them, but we know they exist. It's these messages that keep the heart pumping blood, the lungs taking in air, the stomach digesting food - and the thousands of biological functions occurring continuously in the body.

• Every one of these messages passes through a small area of the neck at the point where the head and neck join. It's a critical area in the brain's communication pathway for sending its health and healing messages down the spinal cord, out over the nervous system to all parts of the body.

Atop this critical area sits the head. The head weighs between 8 and 14 lbs and rests in a delicate balance at the top of the spine. The head must remain perfectly balanced and in alignment on top of the neck to prevent any interference in brain to body communication.

MOST PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HEAD/NECK MISALIGNMENT WITHOUT EVER KNOWING IT.

There are many ways this critical head/neck area can become misaligned; a fall, an accident, a bump on the head, bad sleeping habits or poor posture. Misalignment can even occur during the birth process. Forceps used as a birthing aid, or a simple twist of the head during delivery can bring on misalignment! Any type of misalignment, regardless of how it occurred, restricts or distorts brain to body messages in this critical area at the top of the neck. Left unchecked this misalignment can cause pain and symptoms to develop and increase during one's lifetime.

Regardless of how misalignment occurs, it can prevent the body from sending “S.O.S.” messages to the brain when in need of help. That part of the body that cannot effectively communicate with the brain will begin to develop symptoms and health problems.

These health problems will grow worse until the misalignment (bottleneck) is corrected and effective brain to body communication is restored.

The Upper Cervical Doctor's specialty is THE UPPER CERVICAL SPINAL CORRECTION, which is barely felt by the patient, requires NO forceful pulling, twisting or jerking motion of the neck.

It is specifically designed to correct head/neck misalignment, to restore body balance, and to re-activate brain communication to the areas affected by misalignment. As soon as the correction is made, muscles begin to relax, blood and oxygen circulation increases, the immune system gains strength and vitality and the body's natural, self-healing process begins.

This natural self-healing process continues as long as the head/neck alignment is maintained and the brain can communicate without interference to all parts of the body.

HEAD/NECK MISALIGNMENT IS ALWAYS PRESENT BEFORE PAIN AND SYMPTOMS APPEAR.

Since the body has self-healing properties, WE SHOULD GIVE IT MORE ATTENTION because many of our daily activities can cause misalignment to occur. Upper Cervical Doctors are committed to help patients maintain head/neck alignment in order to prevent any interference in brain to body communication.

To keep functioning without illness and pain, our bodies need periodic checkups. Just as we visit our doctor and dentist for regular checkups, checking for and correcting misalignment is the secret of insuring a better quality of life, retaining good health, and living pain free.

Upper Cervical preventive and corrective health care is truly one of the world's best kept secrets. It is a natural and effective way to living pain free without the use of drugs and is safe and effective for people of all ages.