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 from the Specific

This is great information about Upper Cervical Care from the website www.thespecific.com. I have also added a link to their site on the sidebar of this blog.

Specific Chiropractic is not about getting adjusted or even receiving adjustments; it is about living a life free of nerve interference. In fact, our goal in care is actually to deliver as few adjustments as possible.

Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic Care focuses on removing nerve irritation to restore communication between the brain and the body. Restoring function at the level of the brainstem and upper cervical spine (the control center of the body) is essential so that the body may heal itself and have optimal vitality. With the nervous system functioning at 100% the body has the potential to heal itself from even the most complex of ailments.

The words "Upper Cervical" refer to the first two bones in the neck. They are very unique vertebrae, vastly different than the other 23 bones comprising the spinal column. In fact, they have special names. While most people understand the common letter and number system for the vertebrae of the spinal column, the first bone has a particular name, The Atlas. The second bone is referred to as The Axis. These two vertebrae are the only two vertebrae between which there is NO DISC. The absence of the intervertebral disc allows for a greater range of motion. Because of this increased range of motion, these segments are much more likely to misalign, causing nervous system interference at the level of the brain stem. The misaligned segments are identified through the use of Digital Laser-aligned Radiography. Because the misalignment is very slight (measured in millimeters) it is very important that precise x-ray equipment is used.

This nervous system interference can be detected through the use of Computed Infrared Thermography. Thermography has been used for thousands of years to diagnose the sick. In modern times new medical breakthroughs have allowed us to further understand the link between thermal imbalances and nervous system dysfunction. For this reason we utilize thermographic scans both pre- and post-adjustment. It is of absolute importance that the patient understands that results do not come from the adjustments themselves, but rather from the patient achieving a healthy and fully functioning nervous system. For that reason, we utilize thermography to indicate when nervous system interference is present, and therefore, whether or not the patient needs an adjustment. Furthermore, thermography is utilized post-adjustment to be sure that the proper adjustment has been made and that nervous system interference has been reduced or eliminated.

Finally, an Upper Cervical Specific Adjustment is made to the misaligned segments. This is a quick, impulse-type thrust applied to the upper part of the neck. It is safe for patients of all ages. We have experience applying the adjustment to patients ranging in age from 1 day to 95 years old! After the adjustment, the patients will enter a post-adjustment recuperation suite where the patient is placed in a recumbent position for approximately 20 minutes to allow the body to accommodate the adjustment and allow for a longer holding adjustment. Following the post-adjustment recuperation, the patient is scanned with the infrared thermography one last time before going home.