What is Nucca Chiropractic?

Chiropractic

    Chiropractic was discovered by Dr. D.D. Palmer in 1895, in Davenport Iowa. At the time Dr. Palmer was a magnetic healer and looking for ways to heal the body. He was approached one day by the janitor in his building who told him that he had lost his hearing ten years ago after hearing a popping sound from his neck. Dr. Palmer proceeded to find a vertebra that was misaligned in his neck. Dr. Palmer than gave a thrust to the janitors neck and realigned the vertebra. His hearing miraculously returned. They both thought they had found a cure for loss of hearing, but they were wrong. But after treating more patients he found that by realigning the spine, this improved other ailments and conditions. 

    This was the start of Chiropractic. Since that day much research has been done and many patients have been helped. The philosophy of chiropractic states that the nervous system that flows through the center of the spine via the spinal cord controls all the organs, muscles, and tissues of the body. If this nervous system is inhibited in some way and not functioning correctly the body’s systems will not function correctly. As a Chiropractor it is my responsibility to realign the spine and allow the nervous system to receive and transmit the correct information. It is also believed that the body has an innate ability to heal itself if interference is removed. Removing the misalignment is removing interference to the nervous system.   

What is NUCCA ?

    NUCCA stands for the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. NUCCA is a chiropractic organization that was established by Ralph Gregory in 1966 to develop the best methods and techniques of correcting the misaligned spine. NUCCA also has its affiliate called NUCCRA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research Association) that conducts research to perfect and improve ways to realign the spine. 

Why should I learn about Nucca 

    Published research studies have shown that when the patient understands what the doctor does and why he does it, there is always better teamwork between the patient and doctor and faster healing.

What does Nucca care achieve?

    The sole purpose of the nucca spinal correction is to reposition the weight of the head over the center of the neck in order to remove spinal cord compression and restore body balance. This repositioning reactivates the transmission of healing messages from the brain to the effected part of the body so the body’s natural healing process can begin. 

Why is Body Balance so important?

    The spinal column remains straight and balanced as long as the weight of the head is centered over the neck ( the head weighs anywhere from 10-14 lbs). When the weight of the head is shifted off the center of the top of the neck, the body is in a state of imbalance. In an effort to keep the head centered over the neck, the spine and pelvis will twist, causing one leg to shorten. (This is important for preventative health care as well as crisis health care for both children and adults.)

Reprinted with permission from Daniel O. Clark, D.C., (702) 896-9228

    This imbalance can cause stress, tension and/or pressure on the spinal cord at the top of the neck where the head and neck join. 

    Our brain operates like a “telephone exchange”, which shuttles millions of messages per second back and forth to all parts of the body. These messages govern the thousands of functions that keeps the body operational. We don’t consciously know that these messages exist, but the heart keeps pumping blood, the lungs keep breathing, the stomach keeps digesting food and thousands of other chemical changes  going on in our bodies continuously, are all the result of messages sent by the brain. 

    Spinal cord compression (body imbalance) can restrict or distort the transmission of messages to the body. See illustration. If this is not corrected, the long term effect is degeneration of that part of the body serviced by these restricted messages – causing mild to severe pain, lowered resistance to illness, organ dysfunction, loss of mobility in limbs and, ultimately disease. 

Body imbalance is always present before the pain starts. 

Health problems that have responded to Nucca Chiropractic care

What to expect from a NUCCA Doctor?

    NUCCA doctors take x-rays of the head and neck to determine the amount of misalignment in the spine. The x-rays are analyzed and calculations are made to determine the specific correction factors required to realign the patients’ spine. The posture is also monitored for distortions and this shows up as one of the patients’ legs appearing shorter in the reclined position. This shorter leg is caused by spastic muscle contraction on one side of the body. 

     A correction is made to the side of the patients’ neck while they are lying on their side on the correction table. The patient only feels a slight pressure on the side of their neck during the correction. After the correction has been made x-rays are taken again to check if the spine as indeed been realigned. The posture is monitored again and the leg length is checked for equality. If the patient is corrected this will be the correction factors used the next time the patient visits the office.

Three Phases of Healing

1.Relief Phase

    The doctor’s first priority is to restore body balance and reactivate the body’s self-healing process in order to relieve pain and symptoms as quickly as possible. 

2.Body Stabilization and Healing Phase

    Most patients see results with the first spinal corrections, but the first 6 to 8 weeks after the correction is considered a period of stabilization. Just as the Orthodontist requires ample time to straighten teeth, so it is with balancing the spine. 

3. Health Maintenance Phase

    Just like the maintenance of our cars we need to service to car during it’s lifetime. The same is true for our body. Regular checks for body balance will ensure us a long and healthy life.