The Methods to... Your Healing!

While all chiropractors focus on spine health to support overall health and wellness, upper cervical care is a unique approach that identifies misaligned vertebrae in the cervical region using high-definition x-rays (spinographs) of the head and neck combined with an extensive analysis of the cervical region.
The primary objective is to clear interference in the nervous system that delays natural healing. The main difference between upper cervical care and general chiropractic care is that upper cervical care uses a precise and gentle procedure instead of twisting or jerking the spine in any way.

Understanding the Anatomy Behind Upper Cervical Care

All of the communication to our bodies is sent via the brain stem, which extends from the base of the brain into the upper cervical region. The brain stem sends all of the messages from our brain to the rest of our body via a system of nerves to keep our body functioning properly. This includes everything from hormone secretion to muscle movement to organ function.
The atlas and axis, which make up the upper cervical spine, are freely movable and made to move in six different directions. This allows you to “roll” your head in a circular motion. However, this wide range of movement also makes these two vertebrae much more likely to become misaligned.
When the atlas and axis are misaligned, the communication between the brain stem and the rest of the body is interrupted. This can cause you to develop symptoms from improper functions within the body, which could eventually become chronic health conditions. The rest of the body must then compensate for the misalignment, causing an overall body imbalance known as a subluxation.

Precise, Gentle Care

Upper cervical care does not use the typical twisting and popping that is often associated with general chiropractic care. Instead, upper cervical specialists use a gentle and precise procedure based on X-rays and mathematical calculations to correct subluxations.
After taking spinographs of your upper cervical region, your doctor will then take precise measurements to decide exactly how the vertebrae are misaligned. Based on these calculations, your doctor will know precisely where to apply the adjustment.
A post-instrumentation reading is taken after the adjustment to ensure the subluxation was corrected. Because the goal is to have one correction hold for a long period of time, you may not need further adjustments. However, your doctor will want to see you periodically to ensure the alignment remains intact and that your body has begun healing itself as it was meant to.
At Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Spartanburg, we do everything we can to make our patients comfortable before, during, and after treatment. To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please request an appointment so that we can evaluate your unique needs.