Blair Upper Cervical Care and Concussion from Impact to Chest

“Concussion with primary impact to the chest and the potential role of neck tension.”

Journal of Open Sport and Exercise Medicine 2018

https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/4/1/e000362

Most papers in the past have focused on direct blows to the head when researching concussion. There have been a handful of papers that linked stretching of the soft tissue in the brainstem in the Craniocervical Junction (CCJ) to concussion. This paper studies impact to the chest and estimates the strain put on the CCJ. The CCJ or Upper Cervical Spine can be a major component of Concussion and why Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) symptoms don’t seem to resolve. If you had a concussion over 30 days ago and are still experiencing concussion-like symptoms, that is what’s called PCS. This is a sign that the CCJ or upper cervical spine might be involved. Upper Cervical Chiropractors focus directly on analyzing and correcting the misalignment of the Atlas and Axis (or C1 and C2 vertebra) to bring proper fluid flow and nervous system balance, as well as structural balance back to the head, neck, and whole body. Gentle, vectored correction to the upper cervical spine might be the solution for what’s holding you back from health. Call an upper cervical specialist today to find out more.

In this study, impact testing was done to the chest of a helmeted and unhelmeted Anthropomorphic Testing Device (ATD), which is basically a test dummy. They also reconstructed two National Football League (NFL) collisions, which resulted in concussions of the players from live footage. Lastly, they tested a Finite Element (FE) model to estimate the stretching of the cervical spine under tensile and flexion loading conditions. They found that the helmeted ATD had a 40% increase in neck tensile force and an 8% increase in neck flexion angle compared to the unhelmeted ATD. From this data, the researchers concluded that strain in the upper cervical spine and the upper cervical spinal cord from neck tension is a factor in concussion. So, if you have been struggling with health problems like brain fog, fatigue, head pain, dizziness, and neck pain since a concussion incident; whether it was from a hit to the head, whiplash, or a hit to another part of the body, getting your Upper Cervical Spine assessed by an upper cervical specialist might be the next step to regaining your health. The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who are Upper Cervical specialists, to provide subsidized care to those in financial need, military veterans, or active duty military.

Call today at 802-441-5223 to find out more.

Bed Wetting in Children Helped with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Chiropractic management of primary nocturnal enuresis. JMPT 1994

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7884329

In this paper linked above, a chiropractic study was done at the Palmer Chiropractic Institute in Davenport Iowa on the management of 46 children with Primary Nocturnal Enuresis for 10 weeks. Primary Nocturnal Enuresis means children with consistent bed wetting incidents more than 2 times per week after the age of five that has never gone away. Secondary Enuresis would be if it came on and then went away for 6 months and then came on again. In the 10 week study, 25% of the children achieved a 50% or greater reduction in bed wetting incidents. Statistics say that approximately 5-7 million children suffer from chronic bed wetting. At age 5, it’s approximately 10-15% of the population, by age 8 that number goes down to 6-8%, and by age 15 years old it goes down to 1-2% of the children. It tends to affect boys more than girls. So if your child is suffering from this problem Chiropractic care can be a gentle and safe treatment option to give children their lives back. The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who are Upper Cervical specialists, to provide subsidized care to those in financial need, military veterans, or active duty military. Give us a CALL TODAY to set up an initial evaluation.

You may be wondering what chiropractic care has to do with bed wetting. Chiropractic is a safe gentle means to balance the Nervous System. The Nervous system can be broken down into two parts: #1 the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM or CNS, which is the brain and spinal cord; and #2 the PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM or PNS, which is the rest of the nerves that come off the CNS and go to EVERY SINGLE ORGAN TISSUE AND CELL IN THE BODY. The PNS can be broken down into more parts. One of them is the Autonomic Nervous System or ANS, which consists of the PARASYMPATHETIC and SYMPATHETIC nervous system (also called the fight or flight), and the rest and digestive systems. The ANS is what regulates and controls homeostasis and normal organ function in the body like: DIGESTION, BLADDER CONTROL, REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM CONTROL, HEART RATE, LUNG CAPACITY, BREATHING, and many more systems.

So how can chiropractic help? The centers for the sympathetic system are located along the spinal cord in the mid spine and the parasympathetic centers are located in the brainstem and sacral plexus of nerves in the low back and pelvis. So if a child has had spinal misalignment from a very early age, it can create abnormal nerve flow which can cause dysfunction of the balance and control of organs like the bladder. These spinal misalignments might be from a traumatic birth process, stress in the womb, or through accidents that may have happened while learning to walk and crawl. Chiropractic is a gentle and safe way to realign the spine to balance the nervous systems of children. To see if your child is a good candidate for care CALL US today.

What are the other treatment options for chronic bed wetting? The paper titled Management of Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722619/ Pediatric Child Health 2005) talks about medications, behavioral therapy, and bed wetting alarms as the main treatment options. What the paper briefly mentions are the side effects of the medications which include things like headaches, constipation, and decline in mental health in children. All of those side effects are things all parents would want to avoid. There are some positive responses with the behavioral therapy along with the bed wetting alarm. Interestingly, chiropractic is not mentioned at all in the paper above, even though we see significant changes in bed wetting patterns in children quite often within the chiropractic profession. So if this is something your family is struggling with, give us a call at 802-441-5223 to find out more about how chiropractic can help.

Reflex control of the spine and posture: A Literature Review

Reflex control of the spine and posture: a review of the literature from a chiropractic perspective. Journal of Chiropractic and Osteopathy, 2015

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1198239/

Chiropractic was founded on the idea that the nervous system controls and regulates all of the systems of the body, so if the nervous systems ability to function is interrupted then the systems of the body start to lose function. Most of the literature in chiropractic discusses this direct nervous system, brain to body, connection to health. The link above is to a review of the literature on the interactions of postural reflexes and how they influence the balance of the body from a chiropractic perspective. The objective of this paper is to define how posture plays an important role in maintaining the health of the body via direct reflexive control systems that rarely get talked about in the chiropractic profession. This set of direct postural reflexes control the alignment of the body in the earth’s gravity environment all day long and are constantly running in the background. What chiropractors tend to find is that when the posture goes into an abnormal state with one shoulder higher than the other, head tilt to one side, and hips rotated and higher than another with a functional short leg the physiology of the human body is greatly affected. Once this abnormal posture sets in, the nervous system breaks down and dysfunction begins to show up in the body. This is what Upper Cervical chiropractors work to fix. If you are noticing that your posture is taking a turn for the worst, an initial evaluation with an upper cervical chiropractor will be able to tell you if you are a good candidate for care. The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who are Upper Cervical specialists, to provide subsidized care to those in financial need, military veterans, or active duty military. Call to set up an evaluation today.

9.8 m/sec^2, the force of gravity, is a constant force down upon the human body from the day we are born until we leave the earth. This resistance is pivotal to the growth and development of the human frame. We develop spinal curve in the womb; as we start to grow our spines take on a C shaped curve. Then when we are born we start to develop a curve in the cervical spine when we lift and hold our heads up, then we develop our lumbar curve when we learn to crawl and walk. These curves and the shape of the human spine gives structure to our bodies to resist gravity but that’s only half the story. Our nervous system has to then hold our structure up in gravity by constantly having checks and balances that tell us how to move and how to react to a dynamic environment to maintain a constant postural state and erect posture. These checks and balances include three major systems: the Vestibular (or inner ear) system, the Visual system, and the Mechanoreceoptive system in the; muscles, ligaments, tendons, and facet joints. These systems also talk to each other through the Vestibulo-ocular, vestibulo-cervical, occulo-cervical, and cervico-collic reflexes. All of these checks and balances are constantly sending afferent information to the brain about where your head is in space, how your head movement has changed the position of your trunk and how your trunk movement has changed the position of the head. What’s really fascinating is that they all work independently of each other but they also all need each other to keep the body truly balanced in a dynamic, gravity environment. So when someone is struggling with a multitude of chronic health issues whether it is a digestive issue or an issue with Migraines they could have a similar origin in the postural control center of the body. Getting your upper cervical spine checked by an Upper Cervical Chiropractor is the first step to correcting posture. Call us today for more information.

Lastly the Upper Cervical Spine is the most dense area of postural reflexive control of the whole system. The first reason is that the vestibulocular, and spinocerebellar tracts of nerves in the spinal cord have direct connections to the upper cervical spine so when it is out of place it can affect the whole body’s posture. The second reason is that the upper Cervical spine has the the largest density of proprioceptors in the spine; meaning the largest amount of tiny gps muscle receptors that tell the brain how the body is balanced above the neck and below. If your Upper Cervical Spine is out of alignment, it could be shifting more than just bones. It could be setting up negative postural reflex patterns that wear and tear on your body’s joints, and your nervous system’s ability to communicate between the brain and the body. Don’t hesitate to call your local Upper Cervical Chiropractor if you are noticing that you are begin to develop poor posture and your spine seems out of alignment. Call us today for a thorough neurologic exam, and chiropractic assessment to get your posture back on track and your health on point.

802-441-5223

Facial Nerve Pain and Upper Cervical Care

Trigeminal Neuralgia and Chiropractic Care: A Case Report.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2921783/

Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. The paper linked above is a case report of a chiropractor who treated a patient who suffered from Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) for 7.5 years. The patient was a 68 year old female that had reported to the Chiropractor that it was her last straw and that she was all out of options, having treated with Acupuncture, Physical Therapy, pain medications, and anti-seizure medications for pain control. She treated off and on with the chiropractor for 18 months, and while under chiropractic care, she reported a decrease in overall symptoms and at times a near resolution of symptoms while she was following the Chiropractors treatment protocol. The sensation she was having ranged anywhere from electrical shocks on one side of her face, to hot burning water, to bugs crawling across her skin. She did not obtain long term relief with any of the treatment options other than the chiropractic manipulation. If you are experiencing Trigeminal Neuralgia pain, chiropractic care may be able to help. An initial evaluation with a Chiropractor may be able to uncover some Upper Cervical problems that may be contributing to, or directly causing Trigeminal Neuralgia. The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who are Upper Cervical specialists, to provide subsidized care to those in financial need, military veterans, or active duty military. Call to set up an evaluation today.

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) has been termed the “Suicide Pain”. The patient in this study described the pain as sharp, sudden, severe, but brief stabbing, recurrent pain. The pain is in the distribution of the fifth cranial nerve. The risk of developing the problem, or the prevalence for TN is 1/1000 for men and 2/1000 for women. The Incidence of TN is 4/1000 for men and 6.5/1000 for women. TN is approximately twice as common in females as males. Primary care physicians will encounter TN 4 times in a 35-year career and chiropractors even less, as stated by this paper. Upper Cervical Chiropractors who specialize in correcting misalignment in the C1 and C2 vertebra tend to see it more than what was reported here because of the chiropractic speciality. TN pain can be activated by a sensitization of the Trigeminal Nucleus, found just behind the Temporomandibular Joint in the skull. Patients that visit Upper Cervical Chiropractors often report more problems with their Upper Cervical Spine and craniocervical junction (which includes the bas of the skull). Therefore, TN comes up more frequently. The nucleus of the Trigmeninal nerve can get activated via the Trigeminocervical nucleus found in the Upper Cervical Spine, which has a direct nerve connection to the spinal nerves that arise at C1, C2, and C3 in the Upper Cervical Spine. Upper Cervical Chiropractors gently assess and realign C1 and C2 under the skull, to decrease the stimulus into the Trigeminocervical nucleus which fires up into the nerves in the face. If there has been trauma to the Upper Cervical spine via head and neck injuries, or repetitive poor posture from sitting at a desk for years, it can be a contributing factor or a causative factor of TN. So if this sounds like you, call an upper cervical specialist to be checked for Upper Cervical misalignment.

The treatment options for TN include Physical Therapy, medications like carbamazepine, gabapentin, pregabalin, and tricyclic antidepressants for pain. If these treatments don’t work to reduce the pain, usually the next step is decompression or compression of the nerve via surgery, or radiofrequency ablation of the nerve by burning it. This paper showed good success when treatment was consistent with manual manipulation of the Upper Cervical spine. So why not try a specialist in the Upper Cervical spine? Call us today! (802) 441-5223

Malformations of the Craniocervical Junction and Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

This week Dr. Evans, an Upper Cervical Specialist at Arete Chiropractic, reviewed a research article titled “Malformations of the Craniocervical Junction Chiari Type 1 and Syringomyelia: (Classification, Diganosis, and Treatment.)” published in 2009 in the Journal of Muskuloskeletal Disorders. Arete Chiropractic is our partner, providing subsidized upper cervical chiropractic care in the Seacoast area. A link to the article is below:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2796052/

Chiari syndrome was first described in 1883 by Cleland and was given its present day description by Chiari in 1891. By the mid 1970’s the term Chiari began to be used by the medical field to describe the condition.

Chiari Syndrome is understood to be a malformation of the Craniocervical junction (CCJ) or the Upper Cervical spine in which the developmental tissue doesn’t form properly. In most cases the Cerbellum has tonsils that descend down through the hole at the base of the skull called the Foramen Magnum (FM). In the worst cases some of the brain stem descends as well into the FM and it is accompanied by Hydrocephaluas, and Syringomyelia. Patients experience recurring head pain, cervical pain, and spasticity of the lower limbs. These are all symptoms that patients see results with every day in Upper Cervical Chiropractic offices. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it can help to have an upper cervical specialist examine you.

Chiari type 1 is noteworthy because it is the most common type and can be very life threatening. Syringomyelia, which accompanies the Cerebellar Tonsilar Ectopia (CTE) of a Chiari type 1, means REED or FLUTE like spinal cord. This is slightly more prevalent in females and can be found in children at birth all the way up to 60 years of age, but not often over people of 65 years. The average age of diagnosis is between 25-45 years old. So if you have been diagnosed recently and you haven’t had your upper cervical spine checked contact the Craniocervical Foundation

Treatment is broken down into surgical and non surgical. Surgical treatment includes removal of the bone of the occiput base of the skull or the back of C1 vertebra to remove pressure off the spinal cord and brainstem. 83% of patients see relief with this surgery of some sort. However, there is a 2% mortality rate associated with this as the brainstem controls breathing and heart rate and a whole host of internal functions. When the bone that supports the brain is removed it does have the potential to create a lot of problems for the body. Non surgical treatment included electrical stimulation to override the pain sensations in the nerves, but there was little evidence to support this. There was more evidence to support pain medication to relieve the headaches, neck pain, and other symptoms, however they are not that effective and can have side effects. The last options the paper discussed were things like Occupational Therapy and Physical therapy to help regain movement in the body, as well as Craniosacral Osteopathy. This is where an Upper Cervical specialist could step in as well and assess the area of the Chiari symptoms for misalignment. At Arete Chiropractic, the providers hold advanced certifications in evaluation and treatment of the craniocervical junction. If the upper Cervical spine is out of alignment it can compress the soft tissue even more. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms or feel that Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care could be a solution for you, Call today 802-441-5223

Recovery from Head Trauma with Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Bob came in 6 months ago and was suffering from headaches, neck pain, midback pain, low back pain, numbness and tingling in his hands and ringing in the ears or tinnitus. The Craniocervical Foundation (CCF) was a good fit for Bob because he had a bad head trauma when he was working construction a few years back. This impacted his work and leisure activities. He would have a hard time keeping his pack on his back comfortably while hiking, and his arms would go numb at his desk at work. He also reported that his tinnitus would increase around stress.

Bob didn't want the neck pain, back pain and headaches to be his new normal, so he checked out the CCF. Under the CCF Bob was able to make a near full recovery in less than 6 months under Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care with our partners Arete Chiropractic . Now he can actually hike comfortably on long hikes with his pack and not even think about it. The numbness and tingling in his hands is much better, the ringing in his ears is nearly gone and his headaches, neck pain, and back pain are a thing of the past!

If you are dealing with any of these conditions and you would like to see if we can help reach out today!

802-441-5223 INFO@CRANIOCERVICALFOUNDATION.ORG

Full Recovery from Whiplash Injury with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Post-traumatic upper cervical subluxation visualized by MRI: a case report

Journal of Chiropratic and Osteopathy. 2007 Dec 19;15:20.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18093309

In this paper we follow a 21-year-old female that was in a head-on collision where a truck traveling at 55mph struck the front left corner of her car while she was going 45 mph. The female patient was knocked unconscious as the speeds of the collision are added together and come out to roughly a 100mph accident! That energy travels directly through the car and into your body. This is why an Upper Cervical Chiropractic specialist should be consulted directly after a patient is cleared for fractures and serious soft tissue injury.

Paramedics rushed her to the Emergency Room where they proceeded to take x-rays of her neck (2D of bone) and a CT of her neck (3D of bone). The reports came back negative. She didn’t have any fractures or large tears or bleeds that they could see so they gave her a referral for a neurologist whom she saw quickly and sent her home with migraine medication.

Fast forward to two days after the car accident, her head and neck pain is a 9 on a scale of 1-10, and she is suffering from dizziness and incredible restriction in her neck. The chiropractor checks her spine by checking range of motion and doing orthopedic exams, which find a positive Valsalva test and some positive neurologic findings. The chiropractor noticed that the muscles in the patient’s neck were very stiff and that something wasn’t quite adding up. The Chiropractor took flexion/extension x-rays to look for soft tissue injuries in the cervical spine and those came back negative. So next he referred her out for an MRI of the Cervical spine and found a Syrinx (central spinal cord injury) from C2-C7, a left alar ligament with a left lateral translation of C1 vertebra under the occiput (Because the Alar ligament checks lateral movement of C1), and a Myodural bridge injury between the sub occipital muscle called the Rectus Capitus Posterior Minor (RCPMi) and the spinal cord (because RCPMi) was in spasm. Sometimes it takes a great investigator to get to the bottom of what’s happening in a cervical whiplash injury. Upper Cervical chiropractors are great at getting to the bottom of these types of problems!

Immediately the Chiropractor gently corrected the position of C1 and put the patient on a care plan of three visits per week for six weeks. At the end of six weeks the patient had a 75% reduction in symptoms. After six months under conservative Chiropractic care the patient had a complete resolution of symptoms! So if you have been struggling with symptoms like headaches, dizziness, neck pain, or low back pain after a whiplash accident, reach out to the closest Upper Cervical Chiropractor to you!

Our partners, Arete Chiropractic are located in Portsmouth, NH. They are hosting a Dinner with Doc on Whiplash on September 27 at 6:30pm at the Atlantic Grill in Rye, NH. To find out more about them or to RSVP to the dinner, they can be reached here:

(603) 380-9184 Office@aretechiro.com www.aretechiro.com

Whiplash Injuries Treatment and Recovery with Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

In the united states whiplash is the most common injury associated with car accidents. It affects up to 83% of the population and costs patients $3.9 billion annually in medical bills. However, if you total the litigation fees, it totals up to $29 billion.

Today we are reviewing a paper that was published in 2008 titled “Whiplash: Diagnosis, treatment, and associated injuries.” in the journal Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine. This study is a review of 485 articles on Whiplash and Whiplash associated disorders.

In 1995 The Quebec Task Force met and created a grading and classification system to Whiplash injuries:

Grade 0: No complaint about the neck. No physical signs of injury.

Grade 1: Neck complaint of pain stiffness or tenderness only. No physical signs.

Grade 2: Neck complaint and Musculoskeletal signs including decreased range of motion and pain or tenderness.

Grade 3: Neck complaint and neurological signs including decreased or absent Deep Tendon Reflex’s weakness and sensory deficits.

Grade 4: Neck complaint and fracture or dislocation.

There are some controversies in how to diagnose, treat, and give a prognosis for whiplash injuries. Patients also report their injuries in a wide variety of ways, and in many cases it can be hard to find diagnostic criteria to prove the problem. The diagnosis of whiplash associated disorders is grounded in the clinical findings of Headache, Neck pain or stiffness, arm pain and numbness or tingling, TMJ pain, Visual disturbances, memory and concentration problems and psychological distress. Patients may also experience Psycho-social symptoms like depression, fear, anger, hypochondriasis, and anxiety.

There will often be findings from imaging, such as xrays, that accompany whiplash injuries like preexisting degenerative disc or joint disease in the cervical spine or a loss of the normal cervical curve, known as the lordotic curve. Some studies suggest that part of the problem with whiplash is the joints in the cervical spine are actually misaligned and become hypomobile, or stuck out of place and that early mobilization or correction of the alignment can improve motion and help to speed recovery.

The paper described factors that may delay recovery like: age, sex, and preexisting cervical spine conditions. We see that whiplash associated disorders appear more in patients that are older in age, more females than men (due to the physical size of the neck and the structures in it), and those without the proper curve in their neck, before the accident.

Some of the studies suggest that symptoms persist in 25-40% of patients after one year. Another study showed that 7 years post injury, 40% of patients were still suffering from Whiplash Associated Disorder symptoms.

Click the link below to see the paper discussed here. And feel free to watch Dr. Evans’ from our partners, Arete Chiropractic, Facebook live video, too!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684148/

Arete Chiropractic is hosting a Dinner with Doc on Whiplash on September 27th at 6:30 at the Atlantic Grill in Rye, NH. This would be a great opportunity to meet the doctors and to hear about Whiplash injuries and recovery, and to learn more about Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care. Dinner is free! If you or someone you know are suffering from whiplash associated disorders or symptoms like: neck pain, headache, numbness or tingling, loss of range of motion in the neck and jaw pain, Upper Cervical chiropractic care may be an option to help recover. Check out the EVENT on Facebook or call 603.380.9184 to reserve your seat today!

Incredible Improvement of Meniere's Disease and Stoke Symptoms with Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

We met George in February of 2018. He had suffered a stroke in 1993 and had been suffering from neck pain, throbbing headaches in the back of the head, decreased range of motion in the neck, numbness in his left foot, and left arm weakness. George also said that his head felt heavy and that he had a hard time holding it up. Back in January of 2017 George had started to develop what are known as "drop attacks" while traveling and flying on a plane. Drop attacks are episodes that can include: vertigo, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. These attacks would leave him exhausted with little to no energy, as well as hearing loss in both ears. By the time he came into our office, he was having a drop attack every three to four days. Some of what he was experiencing was from his stroke, although he also had been told that he may have Meniere's Disease. He was given a medication called meclizine to help manage the drop attacks. They were occurring more and more frequently and the effect of the meclizine was wearing off faster and faster. Things had progressed to the point that George couldn’t go out any more, never knowing when the next drop attack would be.

His daughters did some research online and found that Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic care can help reduce the symptoms of some Meniere's cases. George and his daughters decided it was time to try something different. During the initial evaluation, we measured George's posture, range of motion in his neck, balance, arm strength, and spinal misalignment in his upper cervical spine. By analyzing these tests and exams, we came up with best way to balance George's upper neck gently and carefully with a vectored correction. After his first correction, his energy increased, his balance improved, he had no more nausea, his neck pain decreased and his hearing started to return. Even his walking and standing gate had improved.

Over six months of Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic care, George has only received four upper cervical corrections. He is back to enjoying gardening, he has been able to return to work, has stopped taking his meclizine, his walking gate is more balanced, and his energy is back. What's more, he just got back from a vacation with his daughters where he flew on a plane without drop attacks or issues!

In the image below you can even see that over time, he was able to stand with his feet closer together. Look at the difference between his initial posture picture in February (on the left) and his latest posture picture taken in August(on the right). George's story is incredible and inspiring.

If you know of someone suffering from Meniere's disease, or related symptoms of vertigo nausea, vomiting, headaches or neck pain, upper cervical chiropractic care may be able help! We partner with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth New Hampshire to provide subsidized Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic care for active military, veterans, or those in financial need. Make your first appointment today!

George Tsang.jpg

Whiplash Injuries Explained

In an age where we relish our independence and freedom, more and more people not only own a vehicle, but we're spending lots of time in them! Which means more car accidents! Whiplash is the most commonly reported injury from motor vehicle accidents, and they are on the rise. Today we are looking at some current literature on rear-end motor vehicle whiplash accidents and the associated disorders and injuries.

In The Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, a paper was published in 2016 titled "Whiplash associated disorders: occupant kinematics and neck morphology" (see link below).  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27690838. This paper is the culmination of thirty years of research and attempts to prevent whiplash injuries. 

The term "whiplash" is often actually somewhat misused. This study states that it has been confused with the description of the symptomatology, when it’s actually the description of the type of injury. So when someone complains of whiplash, it’s actually whiplash associated disorders or WAD. 

Let's talk about what happens to the head and neck with a whiplash injury. In the first phase, the head and upper neck move backward and flex downward, hyper-extending the lower neck and pushing the torso forward. This creates an unnatural S curve shape of the cervical spine which can injury the ligaments, tendons, muscles, joints, bones, and nerves. In the second phase, the head moves backwards behind the torso and the cervical spine, decelerating in cervical extension to the point that the joints in the cervical spine are taken to the limit of their ranges of motion and often slightly beyond. Finally, the head returns to what will now be its new normal positioning over the cervical spine as the momentum and force has left the body (See Figure 1 below). Whiplash is more common in females, or people with smaller neck bones and muscles because the size and thickness of the structures can actually prevent some of the injury components.

Preexisting conditions of the cervical curve (or lack thereof) can be somewhat of a predictor for injury during an accident. A "lordotic" or C-shaped cervical curve is important in handling stresses and traumas on the body as it acts like a shock absorber. However, if someone has a preexisting misaligned spine with either a straightening of the cervical curve or a kyphotic (backwards) curve, a whiplash type injury can create instability from the forces being displaced in a pathological pattern during the moment of the accident (see Figure 2 below).   https://idealspine.com/your-neck-curvature-will-help-you-or-hurt-you-if-youre-involved-in-a-car-crash/

This paper gives a great synopsis of whiplash associated disorders.  You can learn more about this paper by watching Dr. Evan's Facebook live video HERE. If you or someone you know has recently been in a rear end whiplash type accident then they could benefit from an assessment by an Upper Cervical Chiropractor. Meet our Upper Cervical Chiropractic partners, Arete Chiropractic at Dinner with Doc on Whiplash event September 27 at the Atlantic Grill in Rye, NH! A complimentary dinner is included. Reserve your seat today by calling the office at 603-380-9184 or by visiting their Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/303242203766079/

Figure 1

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 2

Neck and Back Pain from a Herniated Disc Helped with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

At the Craniocervical Foundation, we're concerned with spinal health and specialize in Upper Cervical Chiropractic care. We also love research on the subject and are always looking for research studies and case reports to stay informed. An article was published in 1998 in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics by Dr. Krik Eriksen titled "Management of Cervical Disc Herniation with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care".

This paper is a case report of one patient with severe cervical pain due to a cervical disc herniation. Up to this point this was the first paper that tracked the progression of a patient with a Cervical Disc Herniation of the Nucleus Pulposus and chiropractic care.

The patient was a 34-year-old male with severe neck and lower back pain. He rated the pain a 10 out of 10 (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst). This was also rated at 76% on the Neck Pain Disability Index Questionnaire. The scale is designed to show how the neck pain has affected the patient's ability to manage their everyday activities, 0% being no issues with daily function and 100% being complete inability to function. The patient had been under medical care for one year and has exhausted conservative medical treatment with Physical Therapy. He had the cervical disc herniation confirmed using a MRI and with Needle EMG.

After the first correction to the patient’s upper cervical spine, his neck pain was substantially lower. After one month of care he reported only a 2 out of 10 on the pain scale as well as a 26% on the neck pain disability index questionnaire, which was a significant improvement. Also he had a needle EMG that reported his neurologic findings had resolved. One year into care, he had only needed to be adjusted two times and his symptoms were still all clear and confirmed from another needle EMG by the medical doctor.

This is only one case report, but it does show that there may be some link between upper cervical spinal instability and lower cervical spine instability as both his neck and lower back pain were drastically reduced through Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care, and that that relationship should be investigated further. 

You can read the case study for yourself here:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9467101

Interested in knowing more about Upper Cervical Chiropractic care? Call or email us for more information about the Craniocervical Foundation and our partners Arete Chiropractic.

Case Report of Patient with Parkinson's under Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

There is a lot of medical literature out there about the brain, the relationship to the head and neck, and how these impact body function. Dr. Evans at Arete Chiropractic (our Upper Cervical Chiropractic providers) reviewed a paper this week on a subject that has received very little attention to date: "Upper cervical chiropractic management of a patient with Parkinson's disease: a case report" by Dr. Erin Elster. 

Dr. Erin Elster is an Upper Cervical Chiropractor that has produced many peer reviewed articles on Upper Cervical Chiropractic and conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease. This paper, published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in 2000, is a case report on the successful management of Parkinson’s Disease with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care.

The patient in Dr. Elster's paper was a male that was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at age 53 after a twitch developed in his left fifth finger. She stated that “he later developed rigidity in his left leg, body tremor, slurring of speech, and memory loss among other findings”.

Parkinson’s Disease symptoms present as a tremor of the hand on one side of the body and over time, resting tremors develop and can be accompanied by slowness, stiffness, and lack of arm swing on the affected side. The disease affects the central nervous system, by destroying the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra sends messages to secrete dopamine in the brain. It is possible that this lack of dopamine allows the brain to send continuous excitatory signals. This constant signal induces Parkinson's symptoms such as rigidity and tremors. It is hypothesized that Parkinson’s Disease symptoms begin to appear after about 80% of the dopamine producing cells in the substantia nigra are destroyed.

The use of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was used to monitor the progress of the patient by a movement specialist. The UPDRS entrance symptoms of the patient were tremor, rigidity, and depression as well as a dragging left foot. “According to a comparison between beginning and final UPDRS evaluations, this patient showed an overall improvement of 43% after the third month of care”.

A significant piece of the patient's health history is that he also suffered from six previous traumatic head and neck injuries from concussions from football and motor vehicle accidents. An association is drawn by Dr. Elster that head and neck injuries may precede the onset of some chronic neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease. 

Within the medical literature there is a large amount of evidence that supports a trauma induced etiology for Parkinson’s Disease. However, the medical literature does not define the mechanism for the onset of Parkinson’s Disease. In this paper Dr. Elster proposes a mechanism of onset that has to do with an injury to the Upper Cervical spine, that then sends poor messages to the brain about what’s going on with the body. This is called mechanoreception. Mechanoreceptors are sensors within the body that sense pressure and distortions in position of the joints in the spine.

This paper shows successful outcomes of a patient with Parkinson’s Disease treated with upper cervical chiropractic care. At the time it was written, this was the first case report involving chiropractic care and Parkinson’s disease in the medical literature. Further investigation into traumatic injury of the upper cervical spine as a possible etiology of Parkinson's disease should be pursued.

If you are interested in reading more, click here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11050615

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Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Found to Help Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a widely recognized, but not as widely understood neurological autoimmune disease that attacks the fat cells of the Central nervous system. This results in a loss of nerve function and body function.

Lesser known, is Chronic Cerebrospinal venous insufficiency or CCSVI. This is a theory that was developed by an Italian doctor who posed that a deficiency in the venous outflow of blood from the skull and neck can actually cause a backup of fluid in the brain. He theorized that this causes a whole list of problems and the that answer was to put a stent in the Jugular vein to open the vein and allow for the blood to properly flow.

A study titled "Preliminary results after Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care in patients with chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS)" was highlighted this week in a live Facebook video by Dr. Evans from Arete Chiropractic. You can watch the video here: https://www.facebook.com/areteUC/videos/2089952854590213/

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of Upper Cervical Care on patients with MS and CCSVI looking at clinical and x-ray results. The study looked at 77 patients before and after receiving Upper Cervical Chiropractic care using x-rays and evaluation of clinical symptoms. What they found was a statistically significant clinical improvement following about 4 months of treatment.

This is a preliminary study, but the results were very positive. The study suggests that Upper Cervical Chiropractic care may be a non-invasive approach to improve the flow of fluid away from the brain, which in turn allows the central nervous system to function better.

Migraines and Post Concussion Syndrome Helped with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

Jen suffered a concussion in February while playing soccer. Jen had also been dealing with migraines since she was in first grade and chronic daily headaches nearly every day. She had a couple of concussions prior to this accident in February, so the head and neck problems were starting to pile up. 

We partner with Arete Chiropractic in Portsmouth, NH to provide Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care for active duty military, veterans, and those with financial hardship at a reduced rate. Jen started treatment at Arete Chiropractic in April with Post Concussion Symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, daily headaches, migraines, dizziness, memory loss, neck pain, low back pain and sciatica. Post concussion syndrome is diagnosed when a concussion's symptoms linger for longer than 30 days. After careful analysis, and a gentle correction to align her upper neck, her body is coming back to balance. 

Post concussion syndrome can last for months or even years, so when Jen's body started to heal after the very first correction she knew she was in the right place. 

Eight weeks later her migraines and headaches that she had since first grade have mostly resolved and she has more energy and is able to get through a full work week without calling out, and she feels more clear when she is at work. Post concussion symptoms, headaches and migraines aren't ruling her life anymore!

Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care Patient Satisfaction Study

We can learn a lot from patient satisfaction surveys and studies. The Craniocervical Foundation provides subsidized Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care to active military, veterans, and those going through financial hardships. There was a paper titled "Symptomatic Reactions, Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction Associated with Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care: A Prospective, Multicenter, Cohort Study" published in the Journal of Musculoskeletal Disorders in 2011 (see link below).

https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2474-12-219

How Did They Perform the Study?

There were 3 Upper Cervical Chiropractors that were involved in the study and they were looking at 5 Clinical Outcomes:

1) Neck Pain Disability Index (0-100)

2) Oswestry Back pain Index (0-100)

3) Numerical Rating Score (0-10) for neck pain, headache, midback pain, and low back pain

4) Treatment satisfaction

5) Symptomatic Reactions

A Total of 1,090 consecutive new patients from 83 chiropractors nationwide were recruited for this practice-based study. Data was collected at the beginning of a patient's care to get the baseline and after 2 weeks of care.

Subclinical status for pain and disability was defined as <3 on Numerical rating scale and <10% respectively.

Symptomatic reaction was defined as a new complaint or a worsening of the complaint >30 % on a Numerical rating scale of 0-10 and was less than 24 hours after an upper cervical correction.

What Were the Results of the Study?

With those 1,090 patients, there were 4,920 total office visits, which is 4.5 office visits per patient over approximately weeks.

There were a total of 2,653 corrections (2.4 per patient) over 17 days. So, patients only needed to have an adjustment at about half of their visits, which means when they weren't being adjusted they were holding their alignment.

31% of the 1,090 patients (383 patients) had a symptomatic reaction, and only 5.1% of the total patients (56 patients) had an intense symptomatic reaction.

Outcome assessments were significantly improved for neck pain and disability, headache, midback pain and low back pain. Following the 2 weeks of care, patients also reported a high level of patient satisfaction with a mean of 9.1/10.

The 83 Upper Cervical chiropractors used in the study were very experienced on there field and had administered over 5 million corrections over their careers without a reported incidence of a serious adverse event.

What Does This Study Show Us?

Although it may be fairly common for upper cervical chiropractic patients to experience mild symptomatic reactions for a short period less than 24 hours following an upper cervical correction, outcome assessments were significantly improved after less than 3 weeks of care with a high level of patient satisfaction. The results are in! And the data shows that the benefits of upper cervical chiropractic care outweigh the risks!

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Migraine Headaches, Balance, and Upper Cervical Spine

We live in an age where many of us rely on our GPS to tell us where we are and where we’re going. Smartphones and vehicles now come loaded with these as standard equipment. But that isn’t unique to smartphones and cars. Our bodies come equipped with GPS, too! There are sensory receptors called proprioceptors in your joints, skin and muscles that tell your brain where your body is in space, which is known as proprioception. This is what allows you to close your eyes and be able to touch your finger to your nose without looking in a mirror, and it is crucial for your body’s ability to balance.

These receptors are all throughout the body, but there are more proprioceptors in the top of your neck, at the base of your skull, than most other places in your body. They tell your neck how to hold your head to keep your head level.

A paper published in 2018 in the Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache titled “Impaired Standing Balance in Individuals with Cervicogenic Headache and Migraine” presented a study that tested three groups of participants for standing balance and sway: 24 people with cervicogenic headaches (a neck problem that turns into a headache), 24 with Migraines, and 24 that had no symptoms. The participants were tested on either a firm or soft surface, with their eyes open or closed, and in a wide stance (feet shoulder width apart) or a narrow stance (feet together). The results showed that the migraine and cervicogenic headache groups had a much larger sway pattern than the group without symptoms, meaning the participants with head and neck pain had more difficulty keeping their balance than those without those issues.

The study shows a possible relationship or link between cervicogenic headaches and migraines, and balance. This could mean that the neck proprioception is off in the people with head and neck pain. When neck proprioception is off, it can create problems with standing balance and coordinating movement.

Chiropractors call the head and neck the upper cervical spine area. For some people, cervicogenic headaches, migraines, balance issues, and proprioception problems, might all be connected in the upper cervical spine. The Craniocervical Foundation partners with the upper cervical chiropractic specialists at Arete Chiropractic to provide subsidized care to active duty military, veterans, and those in financial need. Upper cervical chiropractors work with the top two cervical vertebra gently and with a specific correction to bring balance between the head and the neck.

You can learn more about this topic by watching a live Facebook video by Dr. Evans from Arete Chiropractic where he discussed the paper above as well as a 2014 paper published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience titled "Neck Proprioception Shapes Body Orientation and Perception of Motion".

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Migraine Headaches Helped with Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

There are many different factors involved in causing chronic migraine headaches. An important factor is the relationship between chronic migraine headaches and the upper neck. Specifically, how the base of your skull connects to the top couple of vertebrae in the cervical spine. C1 and C2 (or Atlas and Axis, as they are called) are the most freely moving vertebra in the entire spine. This gives us great range of motion in our neck, but also means that when the body has trauma, it is an area that is likely to misalign. A misalignment at the skull base interferes with nerve pathways, blood flow, and cerebral spinal fluid flow. A compromise to any of these systems can result in the symptoms of migraine headaches.

The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Areté Chiropractic, Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractors who are experts in evaluating the alignment of the head and neck and how that affects spinal health and body balance. If a misalignment in the C1-C2 vertebra is a contributing factor to migraine headaches, then reducing or correcting that misalignment will make a significant difference in how your body functions. Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic care can often help people's bodies function better with less symptoms, or even recover completely.

Just ask Courtney! Courtney had been struggling with chronic headaches since she was about 12 years old. For the weeks prior to starting care at Areté Chiropractic she was struggling with DAILY migraine headaches. It made it difficult for her to live her life. She was also experiencing TMJ pain, constant neck, upper back, and lower back pain, and she would notice about once a day that her hands would fall asleep. You may be wondering what her headaches have to do with her hands. Nerves from the neck go into the shoulder, arm, and hand. So it was a pretty safe bet that Courtney's neck was a big piece of the pie as to why her body was expressing all these symptoms.

She has been under care for over six months at Arete and has much less spinal pain, no numbness in the hands, and she only gets a migraine when her upper neck goes out of alignment!

Have you had your spine checked? The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic to provide subsidized chiropractic care. Call today for more information or to schedule your first appointment!

802-441-5223

Stress, Pain, the Immune System, and Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

You've probably heard the phrase "it's all in your head".  Since the brain is the master control center for all the functions of the body, there is a lot of truth to that statement! Research studies show the way that you experience pain, depends on your personal situation and what you feel about the situation.  Over time, stress and pain make changes in the brain and body, and alter your immune system. This can lead to slow healing, inflammation, depression, and even more stress and pain! 

So what can you do? Fortunately there are a lot of measures you can take to help. Staying positive, meditation, moving more, sleeping well, and eating better can all help with the vicious cycle of stress and pain. Upper Cervical chiropractic care can help, too! Not only can it help with migraines, back pain, and neck pain, it also helps your brain know more accurately what is going on in and around your body.

Want to learn more about how this works? check out the video below! The Craniocervical Foundation partners with Arete Chiropractic to provide subsidized Upper Cervical chiropractic care to those in financial need, veterans, or active duty military.

For more information call (802) 441-5223

 

Annie's Angels Donation to the Craniocervical Foundation

Annie's Angels (anniesangels.org) is a local organization, founded by Bill and Diane DaGiau, whose primary mission is to help local families struggling financially through a life threatening disease, illness or disability.  At the Craniocervical Foundation, we provide access for people with head and neck injury or related conditions who would not normally be able to afford or access upper cervical chiropractic care, including active duty military and veterans. We partner with Arete Chiropractic, who provides the upper cervical care using the Blair Technique to adjust the upper cervical spine. 

This past Monday, Annie's Angels donated funds to the Craniocervical Foundation that would cover 25 visits to Arete Chiropractic. We are honored and thrilled to have found allies in health in Annie's Angels, and to be able to use these funds to impact the health and lives of those in need in our community. 

Are you interested in what we do? Would you like to give someone the gift of health and are interested in making a donation?  Give us a call at 802-441-5223 or email us at INFO@CRANIOCERVICALFOUNDATION.ORG

 

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Headaches Lower Back Pain Helped with Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

KC is a veteran of combat in Afghanistan and has been under care of the Craniocervical Foundation for eight weeks. In those eight weeks, he has been is able to drive without lower back pain and his migraine headaches are greatly reduced. After years of struggling through the health care system, KC is feeling like himself again! Getting his body balanced, allowing his body to heal, has given him a more positive outlook in life and has given him his life back.