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Why Upper Cervical?
Like Grostic chiropractic in Williamsburg, upper cervical chiropractic is a unique approach to chiropractic care. The upper cervical area is the most important area of our spine. Our brain, which controls every function of our body, leaves the skull at an opening in its base. As it leaves the skull it becomes the spinal cord. The spinal cord passes directly through this very first bone in our neck, the atlas, carrying the nerve supply for our entire body.
Our bodies were designed intelligently. For this reason, the bones in the upper portion of our neck are shaped differently from the bones in the rest of the spine. There are no interlocking joints that hold these bones tightly in place. This allows us to have an incredible amount of motion in our neck so we can turn our heads and look up and down.
However, this incredible amount of motion comes at a price. This area in our spine is not only the most critical, but also the most fragile. When our body undergoes stress, it causes the first bone in our neck (known as the atlas) to shift out of place. This shifting causes inflammation which in turn irritates the nerves in this area - the same nerves that are traveling out to every part of our body. When these nerves are irritated, the vital messages coming from our brain and traveling down through the spinal cord get blocked and we begin to experience dysfunction in our bodies. We often see problems such as migraines, vertigo, loss of motion, neck pain, headaches, sleep disturbances, digestive problems, high blood pressure, immune system dysfunction, low back pain, and so much more begin to develop as this nerve interference occurs. When the atlas has shifted out of place and nerve interference occurs, it is known as a subluxation.
As an upper cervical chiropractic care provider, our doctor focuses specifically on this area of the spine. When it is deemed medically necessary, our office will take specific and precise x-rays so that our doctor can determine precisely how this bone has moved out of place down to the millimeter. Using this information, our doctor determines what kind of correction is necessary. Each adjustment is tailored specifically to the patient's unique misalignment. This level of specificity allows us to provide the greatest level of correction possible, removing the nerve interference and allowing your body to heal itself naturally.
Our bodies have an incredible capacity to heal themselves. In our office, we do not treat many of the conditions listed above. In fact, we only treat one thing: a subluxation. However, what we have found time and time again is that when we remove the subluxation and your body is able to regulate itself naturally, patients see dramatic improvements in their health. Many of our patients have been able to reduce or eliminate their need for prescription medications, which can often times have harmful side effects. If you or a loved one are suffering, make an appointment today so you can be checked for a subluxation so we can get you on the path to healing.
