In my 11 years of practicing various forms of Chiropractic technique with muscle work I have witnessed the importance of upper cervical work no matter what the rehabilitation program is. Adjusting the atlas or the axis has global effects on the movement of the entire spine and the soft tissue must be considered in the surrounding area for the adjustments to hold long term. Adjusting the TMJ as well as segments to include extremities further strengthens the brain body connection.
Adjustments may not hold due to injuries to soft tissue not being addressed. My own personal experience revealed a need to address muscle rehabilitation. My wellness approach advocates cervical, shoulder and pelvic muscle rehab as it makes sense that injuries to the spine can and do result in atrophy and do disrupt ligaments and muscles responsible for maintaining the integrity of the spine. The shoulder and pelvic girdles are the two X axis’ on the long spinal Y axis. Spinal column alignment changes will result in muscle strength changes on both sides of the spinal column, with one side trying to compensate for the other side. If your corrective procedure does not include upper cervical adjusting and muscle rehabilitation involved in the subluxation complexes, there is slim or slower chance of permanent spinal correction. You may get out of pain, but I’m talking about real global spinal changes.
An adjustment to the upper cervical region can incorporate many different styles. A manual adjustment can be performed as associated with an audible release or an unwinding motion with firm specific pressures can also unlock the subluxation complex. Both are extremely effective techniques in correction of this area and correcting forward head positioning and other postural distortions. I will be further elaborating on how the five righting reflexes have a role with the upper cervical subluxations in the next blog.