Upper cervical care: a unique approach to healthcare

Approximately 133 million people in the United States – nearly half the country’s population – suffer from at least one chronic health condition of any kind, accounting for 83 percent of all health care spending. Projections indicate this rate will increase. By 2030 the number of Americans afflicted by a chronic condition is expected to rise to 171 million – an increase of more than one percent per year. ❧ Musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, arthritis, and headaches are the leading cause of activity limitations among working age adults. Among these, chronic back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under the age of 45. ❧ The patient in this documentary reported suffering from lower and upper back pain, arthritis, muscular spasms, numbness, headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety and insomnia for approximately 10 years. After receiving treatment from medical specialists for several years without more than temporary relief of his symptoms, he found an alternative treatment called Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. After six months of care, he reported a marked amelioration of all his symptoms. ❧ Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic is based on the premise that when one or both of the top two vertebrae of the spine – the atlas and axis – become misaligned, they create pressure on the brainstem, leading to chronic musculoskeletal and neurological conditions and an overall state of degenerative health. Practitioners of this treatment allege that by realigning these vertebrae, they are removing interference from the nervous system allowing the body to gradually return to optimal function. ❧ Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic was developed by B.J. Palmer and A.A. Wernsing during the first half of the 20th century and taught at Palmer College of Chiropractic beginning in the 1950s. Today, there are several hundred practitioners that specialize in this form of chiropractic. Numerous Upper Cervical Specific techniques have also evolved – each with its own philosophy on how to best realign the vertebrae. ❧ While studies in chiropractic and, more recently, European medical journals appear to back the clinical findings of Upper Cervical Specific chiropractors, in the United States, medical research into the efficacy of this alternative treatment has been scarce. However, recently, researchers from the University of Chicago conducted a double-blind, placebo controlled study that shows promising results in Upper Cervical Specific’s treatment of hypertension. More large-scale research on the efficacy of this treatment continues in Europe for conditions such as whiplash, ear, nose and throat disorders and multiple sclerosis. ❧ Through one patient’s story, this documentary explores Upper Cervical Specific practice, technique, research and philosophy as well as mainstream medical approaches to chronic health conditions.