FAQ
1. What Is An Upper Cervical Subluxation
A Misalignment Of The Head And Neck
Your head, which weighs about 10 pounds, balances delicately on a vertebrae known as the atlas (the first bone in your neck), which in turn sits on a vertebrae called the axis (the second bone in your neck). These vertebrae surround your brain stem, through which messages from your brain flow down the spinal cord and out through your nervous system to the rest of your body.
If your atlas and axis shift off of the center of your spine, your head and neck will become misaligned, which can cause interference to the normal flow of your nervous system. This interference or irritation is called upper cervical subluxation.
Subluxation Causes a Variety of Problems
The human body is normally a self-healing organism, with the brain being the master controller of every system and cell in the body. With proper nervous system function, the body can and will operate at full potential, ultimately expressing optimal health due to proper brain/body communication.
However, if your head and neck are misaligned, causing the nervous system interference known as upper cervical subluxation, you can experience problems from two different underlying issues:
• Nervous System Interference – Because of the subluxation, your brain cannot properly communicate with your body on how to effectively fight off disease and dysfunction, and problems ensue.
• Body Structure Shifts – Your body will react to the head/neck misalignment by attempting to compensate. Your posture will shift, and other parts of your body, such as your pelvis or shoulders, will become misaligned as well. When these shifts occur many symptoms can develop, including headaches, muscle stiffness, muscle pain and sciatica.
Because of all this, upper cervical subluxations can manifest as numerous different symptoms, including pain, discomfort and disease.
2. Why Should I Be Concerned About Body Imbalance?
Optimal Health And Wellness Depend On Proper Body Alignment
If you were to balance a ball on a stick, the ideal position for the stick would be directly under the ball. The same is true for your spine under your head. When your head properly rests on your spine all of the information that needs to go from your brain to your body is transmitted without interference. But when the bones in your neck shift out of place imbalance occurs, interfering with your brain/body information pathway.
Body Imbalance Always Precedes Pain and Dysfunction
Just as the tires on your car are balanced to ensure even wear, gravity plays a role in body imbalance, causing joints to wear out unevenly when misalignments are present. When your spine attempts to compensate for the imbalance this can play out as your head, shoulders and/or hips shifting, which will then manifests pain or discomfort in your joints.
The Common Signs Of Body Imbalance
What are some of the possible signs that your body lacks balance? You may be walking or running and feel more pressure or pain in one knee than in the other. Perhaps when you look in the mirror you see that one shoulder is higher than the other. Or if your posture is weak, your head may be jutting forward, rounding out your shoulders.
If you believe that you body may be out of balance, Dr. Alfred Tomp or Dr. Elizabeth Hoefer (pronounced Hay-fer) can perform an upper cervical exam to determine whether a misalignment is present. If so, they can then determine whether or not your condition can be helped by using Blair Upper Cervical Care to restore proper balance and nerve flow to your body.
3. What is an Upper Cervical adjustment? Is it safe?
The Upper Cervical adjustment is completely different from a traditional chiropractic adjustment. There is no twisting or “popping” of the neck. It is a specialized, gentle, and safe procedure and you are lying in a neutral position. Upper Cervical doctors are experts at restoring the proper motion and position of your vertebrae. The adjustment is a precise procedure that only Upper Cervical doctors are skilled in.
Every health procedure, from taking aspirin to giving blood, involves a level of risk. Chiropractic adjustments are among the safest of all health care interventions because they are non-surgical, drug-free and present an extremely low risk. Blair Upper Cervical adjustments are even safer because they involve no turning, twisting or popping of the neck (as well as keeping the head in a neural position). And they work!
4. Is Upper Cervical chiropractic effective?
Yes. Upper Cervical care is very safe and effective.
Scientific evidence proving that Upper Cervical care works is overwhelming. Over the past 20 years, many controlled and independent research studies have shown again and again that Upper Cervical chiropractic is safe and effective for treating low back pain, neck pain, headaches and other conditions relating to the spine.
Based on these scientific studies, the consensus is that chiropractic care is the treatment of choice for most spinal problems. The extent to which a person can benefit from care varies depending on their problem and how long it has existed.
5. Why should I see an Upper Cervical doctor?
From professional athletes to homemakers, engineers to electricians, infants to seniors, Upper Cervical care has been the answer to optimum health. Thousands of people see Upper Cervical doctors not only for spinal problems, but many other conditions as well. Still others find that regular visits to their chiropractor keep them in peak condition.
Regularly a dentist checks our teeth, an optometrist checks our eyes and a doctor checks our blood pressure and heart. Yet, we take the spine – a crucial component of our body – for granted. Call us today because regular checkups of your spine can help you maintain better health.
6. Do many people see Upper Cervical doctors?
Yes. Our patients love that Upper Cervical procedures do not involve any “popping” or twisting of the spine. The non-surgical, drug-free healing nature of chiropractic provides benefit to the health of millions of other people worldwide each year. Most chiropractic patients experience real relief and improved overall well being and continue to make regular visits a part of a healthy lifestyle.
7. What results can I expect from treatment?
That depends on your condition. The length of time you have had the problem, your age and the degree of your disability all affect the length of your treatment.
Your Doctor of Chiropractic should be able to give you an estimate of the extent of relief you should receive from the recommended treatment and how long you can expect it to last.
One of the main reasons people choose chiropractic is that they often get quick results. Individual cases vary and chronic conditions obviously need more treatment. However, Workers’ Compensation Board studies show that people with low back pain return to work much faster with chiropractic care.