Just like physicians are worried about how faulty medical billing services can affect their profits or practices’ reputation – similarly, many people are concerned about their necks regarding the safety of chiropractic care. The main reason behind the concern depends on many elements such as the aggressive manipulation regarding upper cervical adjustment that is being carried out via multiple videos on the internet, rumors circulating in social circles, and suggestions by certain physicians telling patients to avoid neck adjustments and restrain from contacting any chiropractors until prescribed.
You must understand the extent to which upper cervical chiropractic can be dangerous. People mostly get worried when the media highlights severe injuries or dangerous consequences resulting from cervical adjustments, thus making chiropractic seem unsafe.
Scientific literature reveals that the risk of adverse reactions following cervical adjustments is relatively low as compared to the hype that makes neck adjustments sound scary and unscientific.
Upper cervical chiropractors are certified professionals who focus on correcting issues, especially those related to the upper neck. The methods they use are different from traditional chiropractic in many ways including differences in the precision and amount of force used to correct the spine. In addition to this, cervical adjustments done by professional chiropractors are less painful; they do not twist, pop or crack the spine – which prevents the manipulation risk.
Where do you find the upper cervical spine?
The upper cervical spine refers to the area between your neck and your spine. It holds the weight of your skull, thus giving smooth transitions. The upper cervical spine is also called the craniocervical junction – which consists of the occiput, atlas, and axis (base of the skull, first cervical segment, and second cervical segment respectively).
The most flexible part of your spine is the upper craniocervical junction that helps the skull to maintain the alignment between locks of the connecting tissues. This makes the cervical spine flexible but also prone to dislocation during vehicle collisions, whiplashes, sports injuries, or falls. Due to dislocation and injuries, the risk of neurological irritation in the brain stem increases. Injuries may also result in abnormal alignment within the cervical spine, thus drastically impacting the spinal fluid that travels around the skull.
Who is an upper cervical chiropractor?
An upper cervical chiropractor specializes in dealing with this region of your spine. Just like an orthodontist who specializes in dentistry, or any other medical specialist is an expert in the relevant field, a chiropractor thoroughly evaluates and assesses the alignment of the upper cervical spine. To perform the evaluation, the chiropractor first fixes a battery at the back of your neck so as to take images of the upper cervical spine. These images can be seen through MRI, CBCT, X-rays, etc. The dislocation can then be studied in detail by measuring its magnitude and direction.
These images are then used as guides to perform adjustment procedures. Every cervical chiropractor uses several methods to make the correction according to the damage and dislocation of the cervical spine – thus making cervical care purely patient-centric.
Does Upper cervical chiropractic work?
The everyday question that chiropractors get is, “Will this therapy work for me?” and “Is upper cervical care a hoax?”. If you have the same question in mind, then you must understand that cervical chiropractic is not like the treatment where you tell symptoms and take a prescription – it is a process that focuses on balancing the upper cervical subluxation. The term “upper cervical subluxation” is used to describe the functional and structural damage to the upper cervical spine.
Patients with a subluxation can have several complications such as:
- Nerve pain
- Neck pain
- Migraines
- Vertigo
- Lower back pain
- Shoulder pain
- Poor posture
- Fibromyalgia
- Meniere’s diseases
- Post-concussion syndrome
- Others
Many patients with the above-mentioned complications and symptoms found relief after upper cervical care. However, subluxation is often overlooked while treating other conditions. Patients with subluxation and complications may find hope and healing in upper cervical care.
Effective chiropractic technique
In order to find the right technique for your situation, you have to find the right doctor and avoid practicing upper cervical methods on your own to avoid upper cervical adjustment side effects.
When selecting an upper cervical chiropractor, a few key points must be considered:
- You or anyone you know must have taken treatment from the cervical care provider before
- The doctor should be professional and certified by the cervical chiropractic organization
- They must perform the evaluation including imaging, and treat patients according to the evaluated results
Amongst other chiropractic techniques, the Blaire Upper Cervical Chiropractor uses the technique as a leading procedure due to its versatility, reproducibility, and advanced imaging methods. This is why certified Blaire Upper Cervical Chiropractors are highly demanded and qualified when providing effective and productive upper cervical care.
Can chiropractic neck adjustments be the reason for strokes?
Some reported cases to claim cerebrovascular incidents, but no scientific research or any reported case has proved the connection between upper cervical adjustment and stroke.
Generally, patients with upper cervical conditions experience headaches and neck pain that are the progressing reason for the stroke and are normally treated by doctors. If you are experiencing sudden neck pain, intense headache, blurry vision, loss of consciousness, slurred speech, or additional dizziness, then a qualified chiropractor will screen you first before applying treatment for your upper cervical adjustment.
In these cases researchers suggest a higher level of force so as to stretch the blood vessels while rotating the neck, to bring them back to their normal elasticity.
Furthermore, patients can be relieved from the pain when they are properly diagnosed and treated by a qualified chiropractor and by avoiding the common procedures in the wrong way.
Conclusion
Upper cervical adjustment side effects can be harmful and most of the time upper cervical chiropractic dangers can leave adverse effects on your neck and your back. But if done correctly, through an upper cervical chiropractor, it is the rightest thing for a lot of people suffering from upper cervical adjustment side effects. The majority of the American population is suffering from chronic pain, physical weakness, and a range of health issues that they don’t even realize. Upper cervical adjustments can properly resolve countless health issues, even if it’s hard for you to know that you had them in the first place. This is not only proved by science but also by patients that had back or neck aches.