What is Upper Cervical Chiropractic?

What is Upper Cervical Chiropractic?

When you hear the word chiropractic, what do you think of?

If you're like most people, you may hear the loud cracking or visualize the extreme pushing or manipulating of the spine- sometimes in an almost violent fashion.

Upper cervical chiropractic, however, is not the grand cracking and manipulating that so many equate with the practice. It’s not a glamorous event with loud noises and people screaming. It’s not “Tik Tok” worthy.

We actively work to NOT be the loud and scary chiropractors. When healing your body is our goal, scaring you seems to be the wrong way to go.

Chiropractic has been a wonderful tool for many people. I would be surprised if you didn’t utilize chiropractic yourself or know someone else who does. Scientific advances in learning about the skeletal system and its effects on the body and nervous system as a whole have done wonders for the chiropractic community and in restoring movement and vitality to patients all over.

But, we think some people try to start treating at the wrong end of the spine.

How Does Upper Cervical Chiropractic Work?

The body will always do what the brain wants . When there is a misalignment in your neck, your head will tilt or rotate to allow for this. Your vision won’t be level with the horizon anymore, and your brain does NOT like that!

Your body will do things to compensate: like dropping a shoulder, raising a hip, or maybe rotating one side forward to try and get your eyes level. This is called the righting reflex. These postural changes can cause pain or dis-ease in your body that most chiropractors will try and treat.

Unfortunately, they don’t address the starting issue . They will keep treating your same pain-whether it’s back, shoulder, neck, or hip- without righting the wrong. The brain will always win and push your body back into the contorted state. You’ll keep having to go back to get some pain relief, when in reality the problem isn’t getting solved at all.

However, when we set your neck FIRST, your brain will no longer push for those postural compensations. We can use those same righting reflexes to help your brain straighten out your frame- which allows for more lasting results and actual healing .

The connection from your brain to your body depends heavily on your vertebrae being in alignment. Your Atlas (C1) and Axis (C2) vertebrae are the top vertebrae in your neck. When they are not aligned properly, the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (which has multiple jobs-like providing nutrition to your nervous system ) gets interrupted. Upper cervical chiropractic care seeks to realign your vertebrae and restore a good brain-body pathway.

We also don’t stop at your neck; we incorporate the rest of your spine and extremities into your healing plan. But multiple pains and ailments can be relieved just with caring for your upper cervical area.

Is Upper Cervical Chiropractic Safe?

This is an extremely common question and concern for new patients who have never experienced the healing effects of a practice like ours. Upper cervical chiropractic is not only safe, we believe it is the ultimate way to truly align your spine and fix problems where they start.

Relieving pain is a benefit, but we would rather address any underlying root issues and not just slap a chiropractic band-aid on you.

We utilize advanced imaging to provide us with the exact formula needed to correct your upper cervical spine. Then we form a plan of care suited to your unique needs.

We have trained extensively on the entire spine, with of course an emphasis on the upper cervical region. This way we can look at your spine as a whole to get the pathway from your brain to your body working the best it can.

Does Upper Cervical Chiropractic Work?

We sure hope so! Just kidding, we know so. Not only have we seen many people find relief and new vitality through their upper cervical healing, but we have experienced it ourselves. You don’t just have to take our word- you can listen to testimonials of patients for yourself.

Upper cervical chiropractic certainly does work on a host of chronic pains and illnesses. We hope to be able to provide you with the ultimate in upper cervical chiropractic care in Rochester.

You don’t need to waste your time shuffling back and forth through other chiropractors to try and fix whatever skeletal issues are presenting. Your time and your health are valuable, and you need a solution, not a quick fix.

We pride ourselves on helping you find the right solution for your body and healing journey. If your journey requires help outside of upper cervical alone, we are happy to help you locate exactly what you need.

Getting you to better health is our goal. We delight in being an integral part of that journey for so many people. Providing upper cervical care to the Rochester area is an honor that we don’t overlook.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any further questions you may have. And remember to schedule a free consultation to discuss what your journey can look like! Give us a call at 585-385-5870 to get started today.

This article is educational and reflects the author’s perspective. It is not a diagnosis or a substitute for individualized medical advice. Discuss persistent or concerning symptoms with a qualified healthcare professional.