#scoliosis #JawPain #NeckPain #headaches
In this video, we will discuss a patient who has been under long term upper cervical corrective care. Generally speaking, our current mainstream health care system is mechanistic and instead of viewing the body holistically it compartmentalizes the body and views multiple health issues as separate entities. Holistic approaches to health view the body as a system, rather than treating symptoms its goal is to restore normal function in the body so it can repair itself In Holly's case, she suffered from several different symptoms and conditions; scoliosis, jaw pain, neck pain, and headaches. Anyone who has suffered from multiple pain areas in the body knows that it steals away your enjoyment of life. Chronic pain takes you away from the present moment and keeps you focused on suffering instead of living. If most people knew of a natural, drug-free approach to keep themselves free of the pain they would all choose that option rather than taking medications that not only don't fix the cause but often have other side effects and that are harmful to the body. Thankfully many people, including Holly, are finding relief through a natural form of noninvasive chiropractic called the Blair Upper Cervical Technique.
As Holly describes in the video embedded in this article, receiving upper cervical corrections has allowed her to live a higher quality of life. While upper cervical care is NOT a cure-all, it is a natural healing procedure that helps the body function better by reducing spinal misalignment that reduces abnormal nervous system function. As Holly describes in the video consistent upper cervical care has afforded her to live life with markedly reduced headaches, jaw pain, neck pain and even keeps her scoliosis under control. This is possible because the muscle tone regulation centers for the body are related to the normal biomechanical motion of the neck. Upper cervical spine injury damages the supporting soft tissue of the neck joints and long term can cause loss of joint motion, changes in a normal posture, and causes a cascade of musculoskeletal and neurological problems.
How does the Jaw Relate to the Neck?
The muscles that control jaw movement are called the muscles of mastication. These muscles are controlled by the trigeminal nucleus also known as the 5th cranial nerve. Along with the muscles of mastication, there are many other muscles that are involved with jaw movement and facial expression. Jaw pain is often the result of chronically imbalanced muscles that can lead to TMJ and myofascial pain. The trigeminal and facial nerve nuclei are both located inside of the brainstem which is housed by the atlas axis and base of the skull. Structural misalignment of the neck can potentially irritate these nerve centers and affect the symmetry of muscle tone of the jaw and face leading to jaw pain which Holly describes in this video. It is theorized that restoring normal motion to the upper cervical spine through a precision correction that these pathways function better resulting in symptom relief.
Neck Pain, Headaches, And the Neck
Chronic neck pain and headaches are often the results of a neck injury. Cervical spine injury and subsequent misalignment cause cervical spine muscle tone imbalance which can lead to less range of motion, muscle pain, and if left unchecked cervical spine degeneration.
There is a plethora of research in the medical journals relating to upper cervical spine injury to cervicogenic headaches. In much the same mechanism that neck pain and jaw pain are related to a neck injury, headaches can occur due to referral of pain from injured cervical spine joints. The most classic cervicogenic referral pattern is known as the question mark headache which emanates from the C2 facet joint. This headache starts at the back of the head and wraps behind and over the top of the ear and sometimes behind the eyeball. Restoring normal motion to these injured and misaligned joints can often bring drug-free relief!
What exactly does a Blair upper cervical chiropractor do?
Blair Upper Cervical doctors are specially trained to locate spinal misalignments in the upper cervical spine and correct them. Spinal misalignment is located by running a battery of neurological tests that locate the spinal segments that have been injured and misaligned by a prior neck injury.
Once located, precision imaging in the form of digital x-ray or cone-beam computed tomography (Cbct) are used to precisely determine which joint has misaligned and the angulation of the misaligned joint.
Each person’s anatomy is different and therefore imaging is used to uncover the blueprint to be used to correct each patient’s individual misalignment pattern.
Once this information is gleaned, a gentle, light correction is made without twisting, popping, or pulling.
