“Upper cervical” refers to the first two bones of your spine located in your neck just below your skull bone. Atlas, the first vertebral bone, is the only one in the entire spine not connected by discs to the vertebra below. It is held in place by ligaments and tendons alone. Chiropractors have found that this bone—which is highly moveable to allow head turning—can go out of alignment due to trauma or other stresses, causing tension in the spinal cord up to the brainstem. This change in tone in your nervous system can impact your health in countless ways.
The lower brainstem controls posture and balance. Misalignment and stress in the upper neck causes the muscles along each side of the spine to pull unevenly and shift the entire body off center. In addition, neurological centers for control of blood pressure, respiration and heart rate in the lower brainstem can be influenced by tension in the spinal cord.
There are chiropractors who solely focus on the alignment and stability of this area to promote health. Dr. Lipat addresses this part of the spine with her own gentle approach to atlas balancing without the use of x-rays.
Click here for the Key to Enjoying a Better Quality of Life.