By Dr. Michael Polsinelli
Of all the bones in
the spine, the first one (the atlas) is the most vulnerable because it doesn’t
have the bony locks that the others have, and it has to support a large amount
of weight (the head). Because this misalignment can irritate the spinal cord,
it can be devastating to our health. Using a light touch or gentle pressure,
Upper Cervical Doctors are able to free the atlas bone toward the proper
position. This will strengthen many postural muscles, balance the hips and
legs, and allow people to function and feel much better.
Once we have had a misalignment of the atlas, it is possible
for the atlas to misalign again. In addition to another injury, physical stress
is another reason that we can go out of alignment.
Physical stress can be things like improper lifting or
sitting. Sleeping on our stomach can cause significant stress to the upperneck. Heavy backpacks stress the spines of our children and teenagers.
Having our head in an extended position for any length of
time can stress the upper neck. This includes painting ceilings, getting our
hair washed at a salon, and
getting our teeth worked on at the dentist. For painting, use ladders and extension poles. Wash
your hair before going to the salon, or bend forward for the hair washing (at
the minimum, use lots of towels under your neck and don’t extend a lot).
Finally, talk to your dentist before major teeth work and set up signals so
that you can take very short breaks (even as small as 4 seconds can reduce the
stress).
Sleeping in awkward positions can cause our atlas to shift
out of alignment. Don’t fall asleep on the couch or in a chair. The jerking of
trying to stay awake in a seated position can also cause the atlas to misalign.
Finally don’t sleep in a moving vehicle (especially if driving). The vibration
of the vehicle can cause the atlas to go out of alignment since our muscles are
so relaxed. Sudden movements can also be problematic. The worst is flying.
There is not enough room to get comfortable, and the turbulence can knock the
atlas out of position.
With everything, allow comfort to be your guide, make sure
you are comfortable while sleeping, sitting and lifting. If not, change
position or take a break. When the ligaments can’t do their job properly, the
muscles will take over. We’ll notice tightness in our necks. If this occurs,
take a break, lay down, nap if you can. If you are driving, park the car and
put the chair back and rest for 5 minutes. This will allow our ligaments to get
the break that they need, and allow us to hold our alignments. By listening to
our bodies we can take better care of ourselves and allow the healing process
to occur.
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