Health, as stated in the dictionary, simply means freedom of disease or ailment.
by Dr. Tony Montoya —
Health means being able to move and breathe without discomfort or pain. It does not necessarily mean that we are able to run marathons or become elite athletes. Health, as stated in the dictionary, simply means freedom of disease or ailment.
We contract a disease or ailment because our immune system has been compromised or lowered. The immune system is controlled by our central nervous system, which is comprised of the brain and spinal cord. A misalignment of a spinal bone to the extent that it interferes with nerve function is called a subluxation, and can lead to a compromised or lowered immune system. This, in turn, makes your body susceptible to disease or ailments.
C1 refers to the first spinal bone in the neck region. A C1 subluxation is severe and can cause any number of problems. This is because the brain stem goes right through that vertebra, meaning that all the information from the brain to the body and all the information from the body to the brain crosses at this particular point.
Christopher Reeve, the actor who we all knew as Superman, fell off his horse, landed on his neck and fractured his C1. This fracture shut off the nerves that went to his lungs, so that he was only able to breathe with a respirator. The nerves that went to his digestive system were also shut off, so that he had to be fed through a tube. And although there was no damage to his low- or mid-back, he was unable to walk because the control center for every bodily function had been permanently disrupted.
So, in summary, a subluxation at the C1 level causes irritation, which then causes inflammation; the inflammation then puts pressure on nerves that can go to any number of areas and/or organs throughout the body. Not only can this lead to a decreased immune system but also to neck, mid-back and low-back pain, as well as migraine headaches.
In the Blair method of chiropractic, the chiropractor primarily deals with C1 subluxations, and is able to detect and adjust the C1 vertebrae with precision. This is accomplished through very specific X-rays and tests that can reveal exactly where the bone has been jarred out of position.
Once this has been determined, a tailor-made adjustment is given according to where the bone has been jarred out of place and by taking into account the way in which the bones in the skull were formed. The adjustment is very quick and light; there is no twisting or turning involved.
With the realigning of a C1 subluxation, the immune system can begin to repair itself and overall health of the body will improve.
Dr. Anthony Montoya of Ultimate Chiropractic in Phoenix practices the Palmer and Blair methods of chiropractice. 602-954-2447.
Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 29, Number 1, Feb/Mar 2010.
February 27, 2012
Chiropractic, Injury, Pain