Are You A Candidate For Upper Cervical Care?

By Dr. Zachary Ward

Are you a candidate for an upper cervical (NUCCA) spinal correction?

If you want to remove barriers to self-healing, and you can answer yes to one or more of the following questions, then you may be a candidate for our care. Please request a consultation with the doctor.

■Have you ever been told by a chiropractor, podiatrist, tailor, or seamstress that you have one leg that is shorter than the other?

■Have you ever been prescribed a heel lift for a ‘short leg’?

■When you look in the mirror do you see your head tilting toward your right or left shoulder?

■When you look in the mirror do you consistently see one shoulder that is higher?

■Do you limit carrying handbags or purses to one shoulder because the strap falls off on one side?

■For women, do you always find one bra strap falling off of one shoulder?

■When you wear a belt, do you notice that it sits higher on one hip than the other?

■When you walk do you find that your waistband tends to twist towards one side of your body, pulling the inseam out on one side?

■Do you suffer from a head, neck, back or body pain that cannot be explained by other doctors? Or pain that is not responding to other kinds of care, including traditional chiropractic?

■If you turn your head all the way to the left or right, is it easier to make this motion on one side than the other?

■Do you have pain or tenderness or a sensation of tightness at the base of the skull?

■Have you ever had a chiropractor or medical doctor diagnose you with a ‘loss of curve’ in your neck from an x-ray or MRI?

■Do have an inability to concentrate (foggy headedness) that you cannot explain?

■Do you have a neurological problem (balance, seizures, vision disturbances, cranial nerve disorders) that you want to manage with other ways than medicine?

■Have you ever sustained a whiplash injury?

■Did you have a difficult birth using forceps or vacuum extraction?

■Do you have occasional headaches or migraine headaches?

(Editor's note: These are merely indicators of body imbalance. 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 anything listed above or any other condition, disease or symptom.)

Upper Cervical Care And The Patient With Seizures

(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 seizures or any other condition, disease or symptom.)

The Patient With Seizures

by Dr. Smith

Another interesting case is that of a 19 year old female, who presented to my office with complaint of sudden onset of seizures. She was admitted to the hospital a few days prior to this office visit, when the sudden onset of a seizure had scared her and her mother quite seriously. While at the hospital, at least three more seizures took place, and the doctors put her through an entire battery of tests, cervical x-rays and a brain scan, but all tests were completed as negative. She was released under supervision, but told there was nothing they could do at that time because the doctors didn’t know why the seizures were occurring. She had never experienced seizures before, so what exactly was the cause?

During the consultation, her case history revealed she had been the passenger on a public transportation bus when it had been in a collision about one month prior. I suggested that although the damage to the bus was considered light, perhaps enough force had been transmitted to her body that the upper cervical region had misaligned, and the increased pressure on the brain-stem was causing nervous system interference to the point of intermittent seizures.

We took upper cervical specific x-rays of the cervical spine, and it was determined that the axis, or C2 had misaligned to a greater extent than the atlas, or C1. The misalignment was considered a "constant", so she therefore had an axis major listing. Analysis of repeated spinal temperature graphs revealed the body was in pattern, and a specific vectored adjustment was given to the axis. Being young has its advantages where healing is concerned, and all other variables being equal, the body is generally able to heal quicker in a younger person.

After the first adjustment was performed and the resting period elapsed, the post scan revealed that her pattern had almost completely resolved. It took only two more adjustments over the next four weeks for the body to remain free of pattern for long periods of time. Although her body’s response was much quicker than typically seen, especially in chronic cases, the most important news is that she has not suffered from another seizure since that first upper cervical adjustment.

Upper Cervical Care Stories Of Healing: Part 5

Editor's Note: Today our story comes from a patient of Upper Cervical Health Centers in their Tulsa, OK office. Again, please remember that upper cervical doctors do not treat any condition or disease. They are simply removing an obstruction to the body healing on its own. When this is accomplished and it stays that way the wisdom of the body can do amazing things.

----------------------

Oh, where to begin……. Thirteen years ago I was hit head-on by a driver who chose to cross over into my lane on a two-lane highway . The impact was at 70 mph. It was a miracle I survived. The injuries I sustained were from my seat belt and from the sudden jolt of the impact. The majority of my muscles in my back, neck, and chest were torn and several of my ribs were fractured. I underwent physical therapy for a year and a half. Then I was released because there was nothing else that could be “medically” done for me. I was told by two doctors, upon my release from their care, that they were sorry because I was so young and they went on to give me a list of “things” I could not and would not, ever, be able to do for the remainder of my life and that within 10 years I would have to have back surgery that would fuse several of my bones together. I asked, “What about having children? ” They proceeded to tell me not to even try it and that I should just be thankful I survived. At 23 years of age, I was unwilling to except such a bleak future.

Several days after the “accident”, my dad took me to a chiropractor. With great pain, I was put back into place. I continued chiropractic care for 12 years and I know it helped me continue to keep going on with my life.

About a year after my physical therapy ended, I began to have what two years later would be diagnosed as seizures and “possible” epilepsy. I underwent numerous tests and eventually gave in to taking prescription medication. For the next 9 1/2 years, without warning I would experience seizures. The seizures would include the inability to speak clearly (many times my sentences would come out in reverse word order or with every other word missing) or not at all, the temporary loss of consciousness, loss of muscle control, and falling. After the seizures occurred, I would be totally exhausted (mentally and physically).

At the age of 34, my regular visits to my doctors and chiropractor were literally doing no good. In addition to the seizures, I began have trouble bending down and getting up due to dizziness and my back ”locking-up”. It was then that I became desperate for someone or something that could help me.

That help came in form of a childhood friend who had recently discovered upper cervical care. Shortly after talking with my friend, I called and set up an appointment. Being under the care of a wonderful Upper Cervical Doctor has literally changed my life. I am now 35 years old, “drug free”, have not had a seizure in months, am able to bend down and get back up without experiencing dizziness or my back ”locking-up”. The benefits of Upper Cervical Care are tremendous. By keeping my body in proper alignment, it is literally healing itself. AMAZING!

Seizures And Upper Cervical Care

A case study documenting the improvement of a 25 year old woman suffering from seizures who was helped by [upper cervical care] was published in June 2010. In this case the woman was diagnosed at age 14 with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), and had suffered with the problem for more than 10 years.

The woman's history showed that the seizures started at age 14 shortly after a neck injury and just after her first menstrual cycle. She had been diagnosed with JME by the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders in 1998, 11 years before starting [upper cervical] care. She reported that at age 14 she fell out of bed and hit her head on a desk 2 to 3 months before the seizures began. At the time of her initial visit she was taking 200 mg of lamotrigine per day to control the seizure activity. Over the previous 11 years, she reported that she experienced 1 to 2 seizures per month. She also noted that her menstrual cycles were severely abnormal lasting approximately 10 days, with 10 to 15 days between cycles.

Examination was specifically focused on the upper cervical spine and care was initiated to correct a [misalignment of the] first cervical vertebrae (atlas) using specific [correction] procedures. The study reported that the woman received this care over a 12 week period.

The results showed that the woman did report one seizure a few days after the beginning of [upper cervical] care. After that point she reported having 6 episodes of minor twitching that did not progress into seizure. According to the study the woman did not experience any additional seizures from this point forward. In addition to the seizure benefits she also reported that her last 2 menstrual cycles lasted less than 7 days and were 28 days apart.

In their conclusion the authors wrote, "This case study demonstrated improvement in a young woman with a seizure disorder after she received upper cervical [care]. This case suggests the need for more rigorous research to examine how upper cervical [care] may provide benefit to patients with seizure disorders."

But remember upper cervical care is not a treatment for seizures but people with seizures can improve with upper cervical care because it frees up the body to function more correctly and efficiently once again.

Study On Upper Cervical Care And Seizures

This recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine suggests a potential benefit from Upper Cervical care for those suffering from seizure activity. Click here to view the abstract. Drs. Todd Hubbard, Casey Crisp and Brett Vowles did a wonderful job with this study and I greatly appreciate them adding the the literature base for Upper Cervical Care.

Head/Neck Misalignment May Cause What?

When the upper neck is out of position, certain nerves may be affected. If those nerves cannot supply your body parts (organs, glands, muscles, bones, etc.) with energy and information, they may not work properly and various conditions may result.

While there's not a 100% correlation between head/neck misalignment and a particular health problem, over a century of clinical observations have revealed that a wide range of conditions seem to be associated with it.

Your first bone in the neck is called C-1 but it also has a special name: the "atlas." Why? Because it holds up the globe of your head just as the Greek god Atlas held up the globe of the heavens. The second bone in your neck or C-2 also has a special name: the axis. That's because it's involved in turning, twisting and tilting your head.

Nerves in the upper neck area affect your head, face, upper neck, inner & middle ear, sympathetic nerve system, optic nerves, sinuses, mastoid bones, tongue, forehead, heart, eyes, auditory nerves, pituitary gland, scalp, brain and more! So many nerves are in this area that when the upper neck is corrected nerves all over your body, your spinal cord, brain, brain coverings (meninges) as well as your entire spine from top to bottom may be helped.

What can head/neck misalignment do to me?

Head/neck misalignment and the accompanying irritation to the nerve system has been related to headaches, migraines, nervousness, insomnia, head colds, nervous "breakdowns", anxiety, difficulty concentrating, ear infections, hormonal problems, menstrual difficulties, depression, "brain fog", low IQ, low resistance to disease, low overall brain function, digestive problems, sinus troubles, allergies, crossed eyes, deafness, eye troubles, fainting spells and seizures as well as many other conditions..

Upper Cervical Doctors are able to locate and correct those of your upper neck: your atlas and axis (C-1 and C-2). What can cause C-1 and/or C-2 to go out of place? Stress is often the culprit. Sometimes a difficult or even not-so-difficult birth can misalign the upper neck and cause body malfunction and health problems for someone for the rest of their lives. That's why it's especially important for these areas to be checked by an Upper Cervical Doctor as early as possible.

Other causes of head/neck misalignment include falls, accidents, getting knocked around playing sports, emotional traumas, chemical stress such as junk food and anything that overcomes your natural tendency to stay balanced.

By the way, there are many different ways of working with this area but Upper Cervical Care provided by an Upper Cervical Doctor will in most cases yield a precise and lasting correction to this area with NO forceful twisting, pulling, or popping of the neck.