Biggest Stressor on the Human Body?

There probably has not been a need for you to think about the question: What is the biggest stressor on the body? But knowing the answer can be a HUGE “ah-HA!” moment for your health & wellness. In this day and age of fast paced society + technology, the typical answer to said question would be…Fast food/diet? Work? Financial stress? However, this answer rise above all the other correct answers. *drum roll* Its GRAVITY! You’re probably thinking…what on earth? How does Newton’s falling apple have any association with biggest stressor on the human body? Well, if you can imagine the downward pressure of gravity on an object, then you can imagine a force pulling your head straight down towards the earth. Think about you (representing gravity) and a soda can as the human body. If you’re trying to crush it with a vertical - straight down force…it is actually a bit more difficult than if there’s already a twist in the soda can. So if your atlas is misaligned, then it cannot support the weight of the head with its centre of gravity. The head “kinking” off at an angle would then create a twist in the spine much like that of a twisted soda can. This becomes a physical stress onto the body. Until the head is positioned again in its true centre of gravity, the stress on the body will remain.

Our spine compensates to the abnormal pressure resulting in a high shoulder and pelvis; maybe a twist to the hips also. This often then presents with symptoms of neck, back pain, headaches, knee pain, etc. We become the human version of Leaning Tower of Pisa.

What’s the remedy? Careful mathematical calculation of how the atlas is misaligned in relationship to the skull and also its relationship to the rest of the spine. It is only when we know where the problem is the only way to know how to fix it. To see if you may be out of alignment, contact your local NUCCA chiropractor.

Part 2: How to "Hold" the C1 Correction

In part 1; we talked about what holding the correction means. For reference (Part 1). In this post; we’re going to go into the Do’s and Don’t in order to hold the C1 correction.

Do’s and Don’ts

Whether you just had your upper cervical correction or are doing your research to see if this procedure should be in your health repertoire; Congrats on taking charge of your health. A big part of that is knowing how to protect the alignment so the nerves can have that continuous healing. As every body may react differently, take into consideration that the listed items below are a general possibilities.

1.     You may get a little sore because we have changed the position of one or more bones and your muscles may need to do some adjusting of their own

2.    The correction may also change your posture.  Some muscles that have not been utilized for a while may get a little sore just from being exercised

3.    You may also have instant relief. That is a great, however, the bone in your neck that was moved back into alignment will eventually fall out of alignment and can cause you to experience some discomfort.  

4.    Lastly, there is the chance that you will not notice any significant differences in how you feel after just one correction.  This is common if your condition has been present for a while. It just means that it will take a little bit of time for your body to adjust to being properly aligned.  Please do not get discouraged if you do not feel better immediately.  It probably took several years for your health to get in shape it was in when you had your first spinal correction.

 Do’s

·     DO sleep on your back

·     DO get plenty of rest – your body does most of its healing while you are asleep so resting properly is very important right now

·     DO drink plenty of water – As your body heals it will need to do a little detox and some house cleaning.  Your body will need the exra water to help it flush out the bad stuff from your body

·     DO show up for our scheduled appointment.  We will design a treatment plan specifically for you to get better as quickly as possible.  It is important that you follow this plan in order to achieve the best results in the shortest amount of time

DON’Ts

·     Don’t sleep on your stomach – Try to sleep on your back, that’s ideal. If not, sleep on your side

·     Don’t sleep on a stack of pillows – it is best to sleep on a cervical pillow that gives you some support under your neck

·     Don’t lift anything over your head (for the first several days)– This puts undue stress on your neck

·     Don’t do any exercise that places stress on your neck or back – this can cause you to lose your Upper Cervical correction

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Do you have questions about the C1 alignment process and how it can benefit your life? Schedule your no obligation consultation now.

Modern device causing physical pain?

A new side effect of the ubiquitous smart phone called “text neck” is the result of constantly looking down onto the screen at an uncomfortable angle. Because summer travel may present long waits at airports and riding long distances while texting and gaming, the potential for developing problems associated with the poor positioning of the head and neck increases. Handheld devices are particularly problematic because of their small size and the fact that they are often held while hands are resting on the lap. This means the screen is positioned at an angle requiring the viewer’s head to be tipped downward in order to see the small screen.

If we were to look under the skin and see this problem as an architect would see weight distribution of a bridge or building, we would note that the head, which usually weighs eight- to-14 pounds, is cradled, supported and attached to the rest of the body by a two-ounce atlas bone, or cervical bone 1 (C1). This bone not only supports the head, but also surrounds the brain stem, so any disruption of the head and neck relation- ship can also disrupt neural flow to any part of the body. Some of the life events that often act upon this little bone include forces experienced during a car accident, falling down, sleeping on an ill-fitting pillow and even the birthing process itself.

To understand the importance of the C1 and its affect on our daily life; imagine holding onto a big platter, as a waiter or waitress would. If we balance the plate around its center of gravity, we can hold onto it for a long time. But if we try to balance it off that center of gravity, it is a struggle to keep it from falling and the weight will also seem magnified. In order to keep the plate in that position, our finger muscles would have to tighten as they struggle to hold up the weight, as would the muscles of the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, back and even the legs as they compensate for the shift in weight distribution.

If the body is forced to experience this misalignment daily, that causes muscles to become accustomed to being in this position— the new normal. Unless we experience the body’s alarm system (pain), we may not even notice that it is occurring. If there’s pain, the body is giving us a warning that something is wrong, and you have the opportunity to correct it before further damage occurs.

Many people silence or turn the volume down on the pain alarm with medications, and eventually, the alarm signal is managed or just shuts off. The problem is that while one can no longer hear the alarm, the reason has not been corrected, causing slow, internal and external deterioration, including degradation of posture, gait and nerve impulse conduction. All these problems can have unexpected, long- term negative health consequences, in addition to exacerbat- ing and creating other health issues.

To minimize stress, start by being aware of poor positioning and take action to correct it. When reading, working on a computer or using a cellular or handheld device, consider improving the body’s alignment by elevating the screen; working at a table or placing a purse, bag or jacket on our lap and resting the screen there. Always maintain at least a fist-size space between the chin and the chest. Looking any further down will put a strain onto the neck and the muscles all the way down to the low back. Also consider having at least a biannual check-up of the C1 by a dedicated upper cervical chiropractor.

“Text Neck”