A subluxation, or misalignment as defined in Upper Cervical Chiropractic, is a bone at the top of the neck that is out of alignment with the one above and below, closing the canal, causing nerve pressure, and reducing brain to body communication.
The nervous system controls every function in your body. It controls your immune system, emotions, vision, hearing, balance, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, muscle tension, posture, hormones, and every other function. Nerve impulses or messages travel from the brain to every part of your body via the brainstem, which starts at the base of your skull and passes through the top two bones.
The Atlas and Axis bones are unlike any other bones in your spine. They have no interlocking joints, allowing them to turn your head left/right and up/down. Because of their range of motion, these bones are at a much higher risk to become subluxated or misaligned.
When these two bones are aligned, your brain can effectively communicate with your body to achieve optimal function and restore health. When an upper cervical correction is performed properly, the alignment becomes stable and holds in place, allowing the body to begin the healing process. As your alignment holds, your body becomes healthier and stronger, and the need for corrections and check-ups decreases.
However, if a patient becomes subluxated and nothing is done to correct it, the opposite occurs: your body slows or even stops healing. This is when symptoms and health conditions begin to reappear or redevelop.
Everyone, from infants to seniors, mothers-to-be, athletes, and accident victims will benefit from a healthy spine and nerve system!
When the spine is aligned, the nervous system can function free of interference and the brain can receive proper blood supply.
If the top two bones in your spine become misaligned, unwanted pressure is applied to the brainstem. This inhibits proper communication from brain to body and causes health conditions to develop.