While there are many reasons why the upper cervical chiropractic care is hidden out in the open, perhaps the biggest reason is that there are too few upper cervical chiropractors to really influence public awareness. Patients have to try ten things before trying upper cervical care because, until very recently, the information about this unique form of chiropractic has been very limited.

Let’s see why.

Reason #1: Not enough chiropractors in general.

Chiropractic care may the the #1 form of “alternative health care,” but on the whole, chiropractic care is often misunderstood and under-utilized by those who would most likely benefit from it. This means that we have fewer chiropractors than our society needs. According to most estimates there are 60,000 or less practicing chiropractors in the United States, compared to over 950,000 medical doctors, about 350,000 of which are primary care physicians.

Of those 60,000 or fewer chiropractors, less than 2,000 use a specific protocol for adjusting the upper cervical spine on a regular basis.

There fewer chiropractors we have, the fewer upper cervical chiropractors.

Reason #2: Chiropractic education has a take-it-or-leave-it attitude about the upper cervical spine.

Not every chiropractic school teaches the importance of addressing the upper cervical spine with a specific protocol. Not every chiropractic student is exposed to the unique upper cervical perspective on caring for the spine. And of those schools that teach upper cervical care, it is taught as an extra elective in the curriculum—not as the foundation for spinal care.

With this take-it-or-leave it approach to upper cervical care, a lot of students just leave it.

Reason #3: Upper cervical care is difficult.

The honest truth is that upper cervical work requires discipline and education, and travel for more education. This can be a hurdle that stops some doctors (especially young doctors) from participating. In our culture where almost half of all adults are on a prescription drugs, chiropractors are already swimming against the health care current with their drug-free, surgery-free profession. By practicing upper cervical chiropractic care exclusively, chiropractors often have to swim against that current even harder.

Want to see more upper cervical chiropractors in practice?

If you’d like to see more practicing upper cervical doctors, consider giving to our research at the Upper Cervical Research Foundation, or tell your primary care physician about this wonderful and gentle form of spinal care.

Read the full article from an upper cervical chiropractor in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

What does fibromyalgia feel like?

Intense muscle aches, with distinct pain points in key muscles around the body are the hallmarks of fibromyalgia. These are the classic “fibro hotspots” and are generally required to have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia. In some patients flare-ups of these points are so severe that they can only be touched with a light pressure, if they can be touched at all. Depending on what group of symptoms a patient experiences, fibromyalgia can be extremely debilitating on a daily basis, or a constant, but manageable, annoyance.

What causes fibromyalgia?

From the perspective of modern medicine, there is no single known factor that causes fibromyalgia. Given the varying experiences that patients with this “syndrome” have, this makes sense, but this lack of a single cause is often frustrating to fibromyalgia patients. They want to know what needs to be fixed so that they can feel normal. However, in reality, a cocktail of lifestyle changes and care options may be necessary to help the body overcome a majority of its fibro patterns.

Ironically, getting off the medications one is prescribed for fibromyalgia may be necessary to actually overcome and actually heal from fibromyalgia.

Why does upper cervical chiropractic make sense for fibromyalgia?

Recent research into the origins of the unique patterns of fibromyalgia muscle pain show that there is a miscommunication between the nervous system and the body’s muscle systems. It is almost as if the nervous system is pushing excess signals and energy into the body’s muscular system, causing a build-up of tension and lactic acid. Recent strategies in pharmaceutical treatment of fibromyalgia includes drugs which alter and depress central nervous system firing for this exact reason.

Because of its ability to influence the nervous system, and the tension of the muscles across the whole body, many fibromyalgia patients have found significant help with upper cervical chiropractic care.

Stories of fibromyalgia recovery with upper cervical chiropractic care

Here are excerpts from three compelling stories about fibromyalgia healing through upper cervical chiropractic care, as described by the patients themselves on the upper cervical patient advocate website: UpCSpine.com

From Sharon Brown

I was a 30-year veteran of Fibromyalgia…

Most of my pain was on my left side in my neck, at the base of my skull, radiating down into my shoulder. I also suffered with TMJ, migraine headaches, foot pain, knee & hip joint pain, and facial pain. Occasionally, I had those days that it felt like my skin was turned inside out and all my nerves were exposed. You know, my skin hurt… even my hair hurt.

The medications I was given to attempt to correct my conditions left me even more fatigued and
lethargic than I already was. Eventually, I became virtually housebound and ultimately I became agoraphobic. If I did leave the house, usually my husband drove me around…

After my first spinal alignment, I experienced immediate relief from pain for the first time in 30 years!
I noticed I could breathe better and the whole world looked level all of a sudden. I have never again
suffered from fatigue since that day.

From Sandra Elleman

But that is nothing compared to the surprise I experienced when, despite the gentleness of the adjustment, within ten seconds my hands and arms began to tingle; by 20 seconds into the adjustment my legs were also tingling; and within approximately one minute my back began to tingle and burn as though it had been rubbed with menthol. I don’t know how long it was after that, maybe a minute or two, when I felt this surge of energy, like I wanted to break out running.

Instead, I broke out bawling!” “It could have been because of the immediate relief from pain,…or the anger at the medical community for not telling us about this treatment, or simply the deep thankfulness I felt at having received this wonderful gift.” “…during the months since that treatment, I have reclaimed my life…

From Darla Flemming

I had been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia about 7 years ago and suffered from the constant chronic muscle tension; my neck was stiff; I also had headaches among many other symptoms I won’t even list, and then I was involved in an auto injury early in 2001. After that, the low back pain was the worst. I just couldn’t get any better. For 10 months I lived with it…I had tried regular chiropractic care in the past, but didn’t get the same results as I have with the N.U.C.C.A.

Are you living with fibromyalgia pain near Omaha, Nebraska or Atkinson, Nebraska ? Ready to try a different kind of care to help your body heal? Consider NUCCA upper cervical care with Dr. Deb Sesker.

Your pain is in your hip. Is it arthritis? You have sinus headaches. Is it a sinus infection? Your shoulder hurts. Could it be a rotator cuff injury?

It’s reasonable to think that your problem is where the pain is.

After all, that’s how everyone thinks about their pain. Especially when it comes to those chronic aches that drive people to pop painkillers, take sinus medications, and apply those stinky muscle ointments.

And when those band-aids don’t work, you go to the doctor or physician’s assistant, who also believes the problem is where the pain is.

He says an MRI might be in order for your hip. She orders an x-ray for your shoulder. They give you an even stronger anti-allergy medication to clear your sinuses.

Sometimes they find something on the MRI. Sometimes the x-ray gives you good information.

But more often than not, the doctor is just ruling things out. The MRI is normal and the x-ray says nothing. You are left without real answers why your aches and pains won’t go away.

Is your chronic pain lying to you?

When you don’t get the answers that you want, it is time to starting ask new questions. Like:

• What if the problem really isn’t where the pain is after all?
• What if the pain itself is not a problem?
• What if instead of trying to get rid of the pain, I decided to try to listen to what my pain is telling me?

When you ask these new questions you might actually discover some of the answers you are seeking.

You might learn, for example, that you don’t have a hip problem, you have a problem with your posture affecting how you are walking and standing. With every move that you make there is unequal wear and tear on the whole spinal system, not just the hip.

You might learn, for example, that you don’t have a rotator cuff problem, you have spinal degeneration in your lower neck, showing up in your shoulder as an achy nerve pain. You can rehab the muscles all that you want, but the pressure on those nerves will not go away without addressing the neck

You might learn, for example, that you don’t have a problem with your sinuses, but a problem with chronic inflammation coming from an upper cervical subluxation—a problem with head-to-neck balance affecting blood flow in and out of the head. To you it feels like sinus pressure, but the problem is really coming from the spine.

In other words you might learn that you have a spinal problem with a chiropractic solution.

The pain may be on one side of the body. But because the spines connects one one end of your body with the other, the spine is where you need to look to get the answers you are looking for.

In our Omaha NUCCA chiropractic practice, many people have learned that problems they thought were in one part of their body, were just a symptom of a deeper problem in their spine. One that is easy to identify. One that is usually correctable.

Is your chronic pain lying to you? Or are you just asking the wrong questions? We can help you ask the right questions by requesting a consultation at our Omaha chiropractic practice.

Trigeminal Neuralgia is the #1 cause of facial pain, with 4 to 5 persons per 100,000 having the disease. Some authorities say that more might be suffering, but aren’t counted because of misdiagnosis.

According to the National Pain Foundation, 1.7 millions have been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. TN’s reputation as one of the most severe body pains makes that 1.7 million too many. In many cases TN grows to be a debilitating and chronic pain that threatens the livelihood of the one who suffers with it.

In the past TN has been called Tic douloureux, and also the suicide disease, because the suffering it causes some patients drove them to take their life. Modern medicine has improved pain management through drugs and surgical procedures, and takes credit for reducing TN’s deadly reputation.

Yet, medicines don’t always work, and the idea of a cranial surgery can be too expensive, or downright scary for many. Some choose to seek help from alternative treatments. Popular web sources like Mayo.com list some of those therapies, like acupuncture, biofeedback, and vitamin therapy.

Still, there is one glaring omission of what might help TN. Upper cervical chiropractic care.

The Facial Pain Association and Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Thankfully the Facial Pain Association is here to help. The Facial Pain Association maintains an online knowledge base which allows TN patients to share their stories of TN treatments, and how they are seeking healing from Trigeminal Neuralgia. And many of their success stories include information about upper cervical chiropractic care.

Here are a few of them.

Thank you for your newsletters including personal testimonies. These have helped me to determine what is causing my nerves to flair up.

My problems started in the early 1990′s. I have used acupuncture and upper cervical chiropractic. Both of these have helped to make the pain minimal or non-existent; however, it has come back…but nothing major.

From Sharon.

I would like to share with other TN sufferers the great results I’ve had with an alternative treatment. I was first diagnosed with TN in 1994. The first flare-up lasted for about nine months. During that time I tried Tegritol and Dilantin, both had troublesome side effects so I just didn’t use any medication. After nine months the TN went into remission. In the following ten years I would occasionally have slight flare-ups but I never had to seek medical treatment.

In Oct of 2001 and I had a terrible flare-up. I couldn’t believe it was possible to endure such intense pain. My doctor prescribed Neurontin, which worked for a while, but because I kept having pain he prescribed Trileptal as well. This combination worked but I still had occasional flare-ups and had to keep increasing my medication.

During the three years that I was suffering I tried many different alternative treatments, acupuncture, biofeedback, two different types of chiropractic to name a few. I was ready to undergo surgery and beginning to investigate my options. Then my issue of TN Alert arrived. In that issue there were reports on several different types of alternative treatments. One of them was treatment by a practitioner of National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). I was intrigued by the description of the treatment because the article said that there was no cracking of the neck or spine. The treatment is very gentle. I was able to find a NUCCA practitioner near my home and began treatment in January of 2004; by April I was pain free and had weaned myself from all my medication. It is now September and I am still pain free.

From Kathleen.

June developed TN in October, 2003, and contacted several neurologists to confirm the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. She was told by a neurologist that she had several options: 1) take medication for the remainder of her life, 2) have surgery, or 3) try acupuncture. She opted for acupuncture. After five treatments, she did not have any relief and requested that her son, seek additional information on the Internet. In April, 2004, John obtained the phone number for Rohn Harmer from the TNA web site and subsequently contacted Rohn to discuss his mother’s TN. Rohn reviewed June’s medical history and learned that approximately 2 years before the onset of TN, June was involved in an automobile accident wherein June’s car was broad sided and spun around about 180 degrees. June had soreness of her neck during this 2-year period prior to the onset of TN.

…

After learning about June’s automobile accident, Rohn recommended that June see the UCC doctor, whose office was located with a few miles of June’s home. He had previously treated approximately 15 TN patients and had significant success in eliminating or significantly reducing TN pain in those patients with subluxation of the Atlas or Axis (i.e., the number one and number two cervical vertebrae, respectively). He confirmed that June had a serious subluxation and began treatments in May, 2004. After five treatments, June observed a significant lessening of the frequency and intensity of TN pain. Within the subsequent two weeks, the pain continued to decrease. As of August 30 (the date of the meeting), June was essentially free of pain, although she has continues to have minor sensations triggered by bright light.

June has not taken any pain medication throughout the entire period of diagnosis and treatment. She feels that the underlying cause was the subluxation of her vertebrae. She and her son have read the references in Striking Back, by George Weigel and Dr. Casey, regarding UCC and feel that this information has led them to the proper treatment and elimination of the underlying cause. Moreover, they feel that recommendations of their family physician and neurologist did not address the underlying cause and would have further undermined her health.

From June.

In June, I decided to go to a local Chiropractor who specialized in Upper Cervical Care. On my first visit he performed an evaluation which consisted of a bunch of tests. Normally X-Rays are done, but because I was pregnant they were not an option. The tests (peripheral vision test on a computer screen, weighing me on two scales at the same time, body balance, pictures taken with dots on shoulders and hips, measured length of legs) seemed unusual to me and I have to admit I was skeptical, but this was one of my only hopes. On my next visit he gave me the results as well as my first adjustment. After he adjusted me, he had me lay down for a little while and the pain was almost immediately reduced. My skepticism was starting to go away and I felt hope for the first time in weeks.

Today I am happy to say that I have been pain free for a little over a month without ever taking medicine and am a true believer in Upper Cervical Care for the treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia. Initially I saw the Dr. three times a week and then two. Now I see him once every two weeks. I am so grateful that this helped eliminate my pain and would suggest others to try it.

From Sandra

Do you suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia or similar facial pain and want to know if our upper cervical care can help you? Please contact us to request your consultation with the doctor.

In a perfect world, none of us would have been born by forceps, or by Cesarian, or with the doctor pulling with too much force on our heads.

In a perfect world, none of us would have fallen off the side of the bed when we were 2, tripped down the stairs at age eight, or rolled our car in the ditch at eighteen.

But these things happen. And when they do they often stress the muscles and ligaments of the upper neck to the point where the vertebrae misalign and lock-down, placing stress on the spinal column and the delicate nervous system inside.

If we were lucky enough to have our parents take us to an upper cervical chiropractor at a young age, we might have only lived with our neck misalignment for days, weeks, or maybe a few years before having it properly adjusted.

But most of us aren’t, which means many of us live one, two, or six decades before we ever have our atlas unlocked by our upper cervical chiropractor. By this time ligaments are tightened, muscles have developed amnesia, and we have patterns of movements which place stress on the top of our spine without us even knowing.

All of this is to say, that even a really good upper cervical correction may not hold very well, especially in the beginning of our care. And if we want to make the most of our upper cervical chiropractic care, we’re going to need to NOT do a few things that tend to weaken our upper neck. Here are 50 of them.

50 simple ways you can lose your upper cervical alignment.

1. Sleeping on your stomach.

2. Sleeping on your side without proper neck support.

3. Reading in bed with a book on your chest.

4. Watching television in bed with your chin on your chest.

5. Falling asleep on the arm of the couch.

6. Falling asleep upright in a chair.

7. Falling asleep upright in a chair and waking up with an ear resting on one shoulder.

8. Falling asleep anywhere other than your bed.

9. Propping your head up on your hands, fist or palm under your jaw, for more than a few seconds at a time.

10. Looking up for more than a minute at a a time, be it stargazing, birdwatching, or painting a ceiling.

11. Stretching your neck by pushing it forward, backward, or pulling it to the the side with your hands.

12. Having anyone else push or pull your head to stretch your neck.

13. Stretching your neck by rolling your head in big circles.

14. Staring down at a Smart Phone screen or tablet for hours everyday.

15. Gripping a phone between your ear and your shoulder, instead of using headset or speaker phone.

16. Having a small child hang from your neck.

17. Having a small child jump on your head while wrestling in the living room.

18. Having anyone hang from your neck or jump on your head.

19. Whipping your head to the left or right or up and down while dancing, head-banging, or whatever it is you might be doing.

20. Flipping your hair repeatedly to remove it from your face.

21. Shaking your hair out to help dry it after a shower.

22. Turning your head without moving your shoulder to look behind you while driving.

23. Driving and hitting anything going more than five miles per hour.

24. Driving and getting hit by anyone else going more than five miles per hour, for that matter.

25. Getting into your small sedan by craning your neck to one side to sit down over and over again, instead of sitting down facing outward, and then rotating your body inward.

26. Getting elbowed in the face while playing basketball, volleyball, tag, or any other amateur sport.

27. Standing on your head.

28. Heading a soccer ball.

29. Smacking your own forehead.

30. Falling on an outstretched hand.

31. Doing a somersault improperly.

32. Doing a cartwheel improperly.

33. Doing certain yoga positions improperly.

34. Doing ab crunches with your hands behind your head.

35. Landing on your head from any height.

36. Boxing.

37. Martial arts with bad form.

38. Bench pressing and watching your biceps, not the bar.

39. Squatting and lifting your chin as you fatigue.

40. Lifting without tucking your chin at work, at home, or anywhere.

41. Getting dental work.

42. Popping your own neck.

43. Having someone else pop your neck.

44. Chewing gum all day.

45. Cracking a tooth.

46. Deep tissue massage in the neck.

47. Getting your hair washed, dyed, or dried backward in a salon sink.

48. Getting into a pillow fight.

49. Getting placed in a head-lock

50. Getting up, turning over, or moving your body by leading with the head and neck, and not with the pelvis.

Does doing any one of these 50 things mean you’re going to need another adjustment? Not necessarily. Everyone is a little bit different. (Some kids have played high school football without losing their alignment.)

But they are common ways that you can set your upper cervical care backwards, and they’re worth considering if you’re having a hard time holding your alignment.