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The Advanced Orthogonal Approach

Advanced Orthogonal is a painless and precise sound wave correction for the upper cervical spine which realigns the head and neck to their proper positions, removing the nerve interference and restoring balance to the body’s nervous system.  There is not twisting, cracking or popping of the neck.  This type of care falls within the scope of Upper Cervical Chiropractic care, a unique branch of the the chiropractic field that encompasses the procedures used to correct bone misalignments of the craniocervical junction that have an effect on the central nervous system.

The standards of Upper Cervical care is governed by the International Chiropractic Association’s Council on Upper Cervical Care.  Along with Advanced Orthogonal, affiliated procedures include:

• NUCCA
• Blair
• Orthospinology

All of these techniques maintain the same goal, to correct and stabilize the integrity of the upper cervical spine to improve the health and function of an individual.  In Advanced Orthogonal, we are able to do this using a cutting edge percussive sound wave correction, the most gentle form of chiropractic in the world.

Upper Cervical Chiropractic

Upper cervical chiropractic care evaluates and corrects nerve interference at the craniocervical junction.  The craniocervical junction is made up of the joints between the skull and the top bone of the cervical spine called the atlas. 

The upper cervical spine is structurally unique.  Nerve signals traveling to and from the brain pass through the hole at the bottom of the skull and through the atlas bone before branching throughout the various areas of the body.  These nerve signals carry vital information for the proper function of the body.  The nerves that travel through the upper cervical spine need to be free of any interference that could alter or block signals from getting through clearly.

Key Features

There are some key features of the upper cervical spine that make it the primary focus of upper cervical chiropractors.  The upper cervical spine is the main opening in which the nerves from the brain pass through to the entire body,  acting like the fuse box of the body.  The upper cervical spine has direct contact with blood vessels that bring blood to and from the brain.  The muscles of the upper neck are the most sensitive in the entire body for controlling posture.  This region is also the junction point for the flow of cerebrospinal fluid between the brain and the spinal cord.

The craniocervical junction is much less stable than the rest of the spine due to smaller supporting ligaments and the lack of spinal discs.  This design allows for greater movement of the head in every direction, but leaves that joint less stable and much more susceptible to injury or misalignment.  This commonly occurs with falls, concussions, head injuries and accidents.  One of the leading causes of upper neck misalignment is the forceful nature of modern medical birth.

Effects of a Misalignment

If an individual has a misalignment of the upper cervical spine, the symptoms may vary greatly.  Some people have subtle symptoms like slight posture changes, difficulty sleeping, or mild headaches.  Others may have severe conditions develop over long periods of time such as migraines, seizures, and scoliosis.  Even though symptoms vary person to person, there are consistent changes that occur in the body when there is a craniocervical junction misalignment including:

• Posture distortions
• Chronic stress response
• Blood flow problems through brain
• Pressure on very sensitive nerves
• Cerebrospinal fluid obstruction
• Pain in the back of the head and neck

Each one of these individual or combined changes can produce a variety of problems with the function of the body.  Often, these functional changes will be diagnosed and treated medically without defining the root cause of the problem within the body.  These changes often arise from a misalignment of the upper cervical spine.

Correcting the Cause

The goal of upper cervical care is to restore proper nerve signals between the brain and the body by correcting misalignments of the craniocervical junction.  Careful and comprehensive evaluation of the patient’s upper cervical spine is performed to determine where the root cause of the nerve interference is originating.  If nerve interference is originating from the upper cervical spine, X-rays are taken to evaluate the position of the bones in the craniocervical junction.  A gentle and precise correction of the craniocervical misalignment is performed with the long term goal of stabilizing the upper cervical spine. 

Seek the Experts

Upper cervical chiropractors have a unique focus on correcting misalignments of the craniocervical junction that can lead to brain and body dysfunction.  Their post-graduate training prepares them to identify subtle misalignments in this area and correct it using a variety of gentle and precise corrective techniques.  Designed to be a long-term solution, the goal of these doctors is to correct and stabilize the upper cervical spine to restore the integrity of the nervous system.  If you have concerns about you or your family’s health care, seek your local upper cervical chiropractor.