Part 1: What's "holding" the correction?

If you’re reading this; you’ve probably been under some form of chiropractic care or maybe you’re super interested in why NUCCA is so different. As a chiropractor, I’ve heard patients say any of these combinations 

 1. “I know I NEVER hold the adjustment.”

2. “I can only hold the correction several days.”

3. “I pop right out the moment I get off the table.”

& this one is my favorite….

 4. “My atlas is holding, but I have problems with A, B, & C.  

The common denominator to these issues is that there is still an interference with the communication between the brain and the rest of the body.  Regardless of what the symptom may be.  Regardless of where said symptom is.  I question what’s going on with the Atlas.  Think of the alignment as a work in progress.  “We are just not quite there yet.”  and the solution is to keep working on the alignment until all checks indicate the brainstem is free of ANY and ALL interference…not in a week’s time or a month’s time…but NOW.

HOW? & WHAT do we look for?

Posture is not just about keeping your back straight, shoulders down, and holding the head upright. Its about Atlas alignment that allows for the nerves to fire properly that allows for proper posture to occur. Its not your consciousness of your posture, but the nerves working optimally, automatically the moment you’re upright.

1.  Leg length check:  when a patient is laying down on their back and the body is resting( the weight of the head + force of gravity is no longer resting on the spine); the leg length SHOULD be even.  Nerves should be calm (there’s no signal for the extensor muscles to contract) therefore the muscles of the back should also be completely relaxed, giving us the visual of even leg length.  HOWEVER, when there is a misalignment of the atlas, the nervous system simply cannot be calm leading to nerves firing off.  So extensor muscles will contract even though the brain is not telling it to fire…and a short leg will be apparent.  That’s an indicator of the spine not being in alignment.  Atlas is still off and there will be symptoms within the body.  

2. Anatometer:  The anatometer is a machine that looks at the posture of a patient.  We’re looking at hip level, hip rotation, and the body’s centre of gravity.  Every part should be on 0 (zero) degrees.  Think of the body in its simplest anatomical position.  If the body is cut in half legthwise…our shell (not speaking of organs) should be even:  Left Vs. Right.  Any deviation from 0 degrees indicate there’s something off with the ways nerves are firing, which signal to their corresponding muscles to react accordingly.  This simply means, the alignment is off.  

3. Pinch Nerves: This is more or less a generic term. Some patients already come into the office knowing they have pinch nerves. Whether it is someone else telling them or they feel a “bump” in their neck. Perhaps, they have done enough research and have tried many remedies for their nerve pain to know what they have is in fact a pinched nerve. Pinch nerves come directly from the misalignment of the spine. If the head is off kilter and the Atlas is not in its perfect relationship between the head and the spine, then there will be pinch nerves. & its not going to be just one or 2…but throughout the whole spine. Just because you do not have the numbness & tingling or pain running down does not mean the pinch nerves are not there. It takes an elongated time of nerve irritation for many people to seek help. Typically, by the time someone is done giving anti inflammatory, over the counter pain meds, exercises, at home therapies to the likes of professional therapies and remedies…months if not years have already passed.

Want to know HOW to hold the alignment? Read on Do’s and Don’ts

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.