Why Upper Cervical?

What is Chiropractic?

A natural, non-invasive approach to health care.

Chiropractic is based on the scientific fact that your body is a self-regulating, self-healing organism controlled by the brain, spinal cord and nerves of the body. The nervous system is protected by the spinal vertebrae. When these vertebrae become misaligned or lose normal motion, malfunction of the tissues and organs throughout the body result.

Chiropractic is a form of natural health care that focuses on relieving a patient without the use of drugs or medicines. Doctors of Chiropractic are primary health care providers and are recognized by governmental health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Workers’ Compensation programs and more. Every year, more than 30 million Americans see chiropractors as part of the regular health care programs. With over 84,000 licensed chiropractors nationwide and more than 10,000 students currently enrolled in chiropractic school, it is the fastest growing health care profession.

Chiropractors frequently treat individuals with problems, such as headaches, joint pain, neck pain, low back pain and sciatica. Chiropractors also treat patients with osteoarthritis, spinal disk conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, sprains, and strains. However, the scope of conditions that chiropractors manage or provide care for is not limited to the common pains and problems listed above. Chiropractors also have the training to treat a variety of conditions such as allergies, asthma, digestive disorders, and other disorders as new research is developed.

Why Upper Cervical Care?

Upper cervical chiropractic care is extremely dedicated and vitally important. The care is “specific” because of the unique structure and function of the upper cervical spine–the Atlas and the Axis. These two vertebrae, unlike any other in the spine, are primarily held in place by ligaments and muscles, instead of bone. While this allows for greater mobility, structural stability is susceptible to misalignments from traumas such as falls, auto accidents, sports injuries, and birth traumas. Misalignments at this level may produce irritation to the brain stem and nervous system, and compromise an individual’s health.

Due to the global effect of an upper cervical misalignment, a delicate and specified protocol is necessary when examining and caring for each patient. The manifestations of an upper cervical misalignment are far-reaching. Therefore, the objective of the Upper Cervical protocol is to accurately identify the position of the vertebrae.

It is is a rapidly growing form of healthcare that focuses on the intimate relationship between the first two bones in the neck (upper cervical spine) and a vital portion of the nervous system (the brain stem).

This relationship is essential to the body’s ability to preserve and restore health and general well-being. Many comparisons have been made of the brain stem as the control center that extends down an opening in the base of your skull. This area is vulnerable to injuries or irritation around the upper neck. The brain stem works like a telephone cable with thousands of individual wires (nerve fibers) sending signals back and forth between the brain and spinal cord to every system, organ, and cell in the body. Every nerve impulse between the brain and the body must pass through the brain stem.

The nervous system is responsible for all communication within the body. It controls the immune system, emotions, vision, hearing, balance, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, muscle tension, posture, hormones, and every other function. Irritation or pressure within the central nervous system can interrupt communication between the body and brain, creating a variety of health issues that can be helped with a chiropractor.

The top two vertebrae, the Atlas and Axis are especially vulnerable to injury or misalignment because they are the most mobile segments of the spine. If neglected, an Upper Cervical misalignment can lead to irreversible spinal degeneration and chronic ill health.

Zehr Chiropractic bases our care on the universal law of cause and effect. For every effect or symptom (physical or mental), there must be a cause. Upper Cervical doctors focus their efforts on locating and correcting interference to the nervous system that may be the cause of your health condition. Correcting this interference can allow the body to heal itself naturally without the use of potentially harmful drugs or surgery.

An Upper Cervical Correction is gentle and there is no forceful jerking, twisting, or pulling on the neck. The correction is applied using an exact and controlled technique that allows the head, neck, and spine to return to their proper positions. This restores balance to the body and removes the interference.