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Dr. Peter Hong, Chiropractor |
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 1410 Melbourne Plaza 33 Queen's Road Central Hong Kong Phone: +852 2136 0196 |
Upper Cervical MisalignmentFor
more than half a century, chiropractors have observed that upper
cervical misalignment disturbs the normal function of the nervous
system, causing:
This
upper cervical
misalignment, adversely affects the general
health of a person, is called the Atlas
Subluxation.
* * *
"Better than 90 percent of the energy output of the brain is used in relating to the physical body in its gravitational field. The more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy available for thinking, metabolism and healing." Roger Sperry, Ph.D.
1981 Nobel Prize for Brain Research * * *
In an unbalanced skeleton, many joints are stressed, muscles strained and bones misaligned. At first, they may be found only as tender spots. When they are under constant mechanical irritation, the patient may feel achy at times. Occasionally he/she may experience pain localized at the vicinity of the area of irritation, or radiating away from it. However, the upper neck does not usually show any noticeable symptoms at all, and, the attention of the clinician and the patient alike is unavoidably drawn to the consequence. Unfortunately, applying treatment without attending the cause leads to:
The Causes of Atlas Subluxation
A. Mechanical factors The
average human head weights between 9 and 14 lbs. Supporting it is a
small vertebra called the Atlas. The atlas is the most moveable bone in
the spine. This arrangement of maintaining the stability of the skull
without sacrifying mobility causes the suboccipital region, between the
head and the neck, very vulnerable to injury.
The head and neck can be knocked off-balance in many different ways:
Among
all these, birth trauma is likely the most common and
overlooked cause. Atlas subluxation can occur in natural delivery,
however, the use of forceps, suction and caeserian section certainly
increases the risk.
B. Problems of throat and TMJ (Temporomandibular joint) There is an
intricate relationship between the head-neck posture and
the structure-function of the mouth.
Underdevelopment of the upper and lower jaws, frequent throat infection at young age, abnormal tongue movement and abnormal swallowing contribute to the narrowing of the passage of ingestion and breathing at the throat region. To keep the passage patent and the flow of air and food unobstructed, the position of the head and neck will be automatically modified as a compensatory mechanism. This abnormal position induces the formation of the Upper Cervical Misalignment. C. Problems with binocular vision Inability to
maintain proper binocular eye alignment on objects causes the head to
tilt sideway, and consequently leads to Upper Cervical Misalignment.
The article "Signs and symptoms" will provide you with more information. |
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The
information provided should not be used as a substitute for health
care. Do consult a health professional regarding your own particular
health problem.
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Rights Reserved 2002 – 2007 Dr. Peter Hong