It Is Imperative That We Accurately Define Upper Cervical
June 12, 2009 by drhambrick
Filed under Upper Cervical Forest, Upper Cervical in the News
From The Desk of Tom Forest:
Seems like the energy in Upper Cervical is ramping up every day. We had a 3 y/o boy referred in last week by a neurologist who wanted to know what was going on in the upper cervical region. This baby was born with a “safe” C-section. (I say this tongue in cheek as we all remember the excellent video pediatric UC expert and The Power of Upper Cervical star Dr. Julie Mayer Hunt showed at UC Evolution II which revealed the tremendous tractioning and elongation of the neck as a head half the size of the opening is yanked through!) X-raying him was a real task and I can show you the vertex with two tiny hands on the film as he pushed himself away from the bucky as I anchored his head in place. The posterior arch is rammed against the occiput. This child cried one straight year! Presently he has optic nerve hypoplasia (he is legally blind), epilepsy (100 eye blinks/hour and fist clenching and leg extensions with each seizure), cannot talk, cannot walk due to extreme balance problems. His father died last year and the mom is trying everything to normalize their lives.
It has only been one week following the C-1,2 corrections but he is now walking with his hands against a wall for balance and can open doors now (not sure that is a good thing!) I EXPECT Innate Intelligence to reverse this condition and will accept nothing less!!!
Upper Cervical Needs Differentiation
I feel it is IMPERATIVE that we accurately define Upper Cervical! Dr. Jake Hollowell, who practices in my office and will be operating the UCHC office in Sicily before the end of the year, was talking to a fellow grad who insisted he “does upper cervical” even though he practices Gonstead!
His reasoning: “…we x-ray and adjust the neck,” (along with every other segment in the spine).
Nothing wrong with Gonstead, my uncle has taught the method for 30 years…but it is NOT Upper Cervical. So if you think the public is cloudy on the issue, even our own profession is confused.
My suggestion, have all the heads of UC techniques make up ONE web site which describes Upper Cervical (what we all have in common) and then have a section for each technique to tout their uniqueness. Couldn’t hurt!!!
Upper Cervical Fraud
I hate to give the Atlas Profilax-ATLANTOtec (laypeople thrusting on atlas) any more “pub” than they already have, but since I’m on the subject of defining UC accurately to the public, it needs to be addressed.
Check out Dr. Jim Fiore’s e-mail on the subject which I attached, it is very insightful.
Jim has been practicing excellent UC in the LA area for a couple decades after having attended probably 20 Blair seminars given by Dr. Muncy. When I was Dr. Muncy’s seminar assistant, Jim used to compliment me on my AWESOME skill of turning the lights on & off during the seminar right on cue. He can spot talent!!!
Dr. Ray Drury wrote the president of the Swiss Chiropractic Association regarding sanctions against this Swiss base atlasprofilax and here is what he wrote back:Thank you for your e-mail.We are aware of these activities. Unfortunately nothing can be done in these cases. How do you think BJ Palmer would handle this issue???
Upper Cervical Needs Publicity
One of Dr. Fiore’s best friends is Dr. Dave Topping of Yorba Linda, CA (Richard Nixon’s birthplace!).
Most of you probably know Dave’s story, a full spine DC surfer, who konked his head riding a wave and short term memory, along with a plethora of other symptoms made his life unbearable.
He literally took his x-rays down Pacific Coast Highway from doctor to doctor with no results until he was finally referred to Dr. Kuhn (star of The Power of Upper Cervical.
Dr. Topping had never heard of Upper Cervical (despite having his DC degree!) but the moment the atlas was corrected, his head cleared and remained that way.
After taking Dr. Muncy’s classes, he immediately converted his busy full spine practice to UC….. and never had one patient transfer!
One of Dave’s patients came in to see me today (a famous retired opera star) and noted that his career would have been cut short without UC care. His nephews are 6′ 10″, 6′ 11″, and 6′ 10″ and claim that UC care is the ONLY thing that keeps their lower back pain free. In fact one of them referred their best friend, a college football player who has been injured for one year due to LB injuries, and he just completed a football season with absolutely no pain!!!
Correction
Last week I announced an excellent interview by Dr. Paul Hambrick Http://www.uppercervicaldocs.com/blog on Dr. Rob Kessinger and stated incorrectly that he was the developer of Knee Chest technique. With apologies to Dr. B.J. Palmer (the originator) and Dr. Michael Kale (who reactivated the method), I do know that Drs. BJ Kale, Ray Drury, Thad Vaugnaiux, Shawn Dill, …also teach this excellent UC technique. Dr. Kessinger deserves our praise because of his dedication, published studies, awesome neurology seminars, missions abroad,…
Speaking at the colleges would also help define UC for the students. Dr. Giancarlo Licata is a CCCLA grad who was introduced to UC by Dr. Drew Hall.
Upper Cervical Research
Greg Buchanan sent me a research article regarding the MS and brain stem hypoxia which I printed last week and here are Dr. Licana’s comments:
The latest research linking MS to venous changes is absolutely exciting. I’m assuming you know that NUCCA is presently conducting research using phase contrast magnetic resonance angiography and found that venous drainage measurably increased, and venous pressure decreased following a nucca correction! This was done on a migraine patient and they are preparing to start a larger study. This opens the door for an entirely new direction in understanding the mechanism of the atlas correction in affecting the brain and body. There has not been a more exciting time in upper cervical as now.
I attached a copy of the literature from NUCCA, you can pass it on so others can see what else has been discovered about the atlas subluxation.
Dr Giancarlo Licata, D.C.
PS I’m giving a talk to CCCLA students on “New Perspectives in Evidence-based Chiropractic”. I hope to boil down all the latest research and share what that means for the direction of UC and the chiropractic profession as a whole.
Upper Cervical Evangelism
The latest research linking MS to venous changes is absolutely exciting. I’m assuming you know that NUCCA is presently conducting research using phase contrast magnetic resonance angiography and found that venous drainage measurably increased, and venous pressure decreased following a nucca correction! This was done on a migraine patient and they are preparing to start a larger study. This opens the door for an entirely new direction in understanding the mechanism of the atlas correction in affecting the brain and body. There has not been a more exciting time in upper cervical as now.
I attached a copy of the literature from NUCCA, you can pass it on so others can see what else has been discovered about the atlas subluxation.
Dr Giancarlo Licata, D.C.
PS I’m giving a talk to CCCLA students on “New Perspectives in Evidence-based Chiropractic”. I hope to boil down all the latest research and share what that means for the direction of UC and the chiropractic profession as a whole.
Dr. Thomas Taylor wrote me about a doc he has been trying to convince switch to UC. Here is what he wrote me:
I will introduce you to a seasoned diversified Doctor who is recently attended the UC evolution convention and admitted that in his 30 plus years of practicing, his so called miracle cases had one thing in common. “He somehow bumped the Atlas.” So he got himself a tilting bucky and a chair and head clamps and is going to find out just how he had “bumped” it to see if he can get more miracle cases. He mentioned that he was taught that there are 24 movable bones in the spine and to not ignore them. ..I reminded him that there is only one Brain stem, He said “I never thought of it like that”
Upper Cervical Research Part Deux
Got an e-mail question from UCHC doc, Dr. Ian Bulow in Pittsburgh, asking if I had any research on UC care and type 1 diabetes as he had a patient coming in within hours that wanted this data. Although I have seen some excellent improvement with my diabetic patients, I do not have any studies I have performed myself. To the rescue…Dr. Kirk Eriksen! I quickly looked through his fantastic book Upper Cervical Subluxation Complex, A Review of the Chiropractic and Medical Literature (which you can obtain at Lippincott (type in eriksen under search) or it can be purchased at any of the chiropractic colleges) and came up with a pilot study performed by the famous Dr. Marshall Dickholtz, Sr. on six patients that really showed promise.
I am DEMANDING all UC docs and students, get this book! Give up latte’s for a month if you cannot afford it!!!
Upper Cervical Testimonials
How is this for the POWER OF UPPER CERVICAL? Drs. Gerard & Tabitha Liboiron opened a UC practice in Round Rock, Tx (near Austin) and have been seeing some amazing results. Check out the latest and I think you can see how the truth can spread like wildfire:
A medical doctor in South Carolina read “What Time Tuesday?” and referred his Son-in-law who is in the army stationed at Ft. Hood TX to our office. He had severe pain shooting down both arms and they wanted to kick him out of the army because he was unable to wear his heavy helmet and bullet proof vest….here’s his testimonial: http://www.focusedonyouchiropractic.com/testimonials.html #2 . Not long after starting care, his pain was all gone and he got his life back. He later misses an appointment because his wife had a miscarriage. Next visit I asked him about it and she’s had 3 miscarriages and has never maintained a pregnancy beyond 3-4 weeks. I insisted he bring his wife in for care and she’s now 26 weeks pregnant. His pregnant wife then forcibly drives a reluctant co-worker with Meniere’s disease to our office to get adjusted and it goes away on the table at her 1st adjustment. Meniere’s lady proceeds to tell me about her son-in-law who had a stroke in his brain stem, is in a wheel chair, blind in one eye, etc. I insisted she bring him in the next day. I stay late, do his x-rays and adjust him…..on the 45 minute drive home, he proclaims: “I Can See!” His vision came back in his blind eye!!!! The news found out about it and just did a story tonight…
Brandon Harshe on Fri, 12th Jun 2009 12:45 pm
Great idea! I like it.
carol radakovich on Tue, 23rd Jun 2009 9:31 am
I have a 21yr old daughter who began having grand mal seizures four years ago. No tests could determine why she was having the seizures. The frequency of the seizures occurred between two to three monthes apart the first two years. The last two years, the seizures have been more frequent; during times of stess is the main time of occurrance. She will be a senior at university this Fall and maintains a 4.0gpa. The nuerologist she sees at the University of Utah Epileptic Center ups her dose of meds after each episode. Maurissa, my daughter, hit her left temporal area of her head in a tetherball accident when she was 11. Her left pupil was not properly dialating for a few hours after the incident. Within six monthes of the incident, she had what we now realize was her first seizure. Nothing at the children’s hospital revealed any abnormalities. No more seizures followed that one until she was at the end of her junior year in highschool. However, four years after the tetherball accident, it was discovered she has a serious jaw disorder. The joint in her left jaw joint is 2/3 gone. 1/2 is gone in her right side. One year after this diagnosis, she began having seizures and continues to this day. In April she had three seizures in a matter of two weeks. The nuerologist wants to change meds, and at some point set up a video eeg to determine if surgery is necessary. As Maurissa’s seizres are in her frontal lobe, surgery is somethin she said she will never consider. I got on line to find alternative therapies for seizure and Erin Elster out of Boulder CO popped up. My daughter goes to school in Laramie WY, so Boulder is only two hours away for her. I’m in SLC UT, but am willing to do what it takes. Just this week, Erin determined that her upper cervical C1 and C2 have held. Time is what will prove the success of upper cervical therapy, but my family fully sees a logic in the therapy we have not seen in traditional medicine. Drugs for seizure treatment are harsh, and some day we hope to take our daughter off them. Any thoughts are always welcome.
Carol Radakovich
Dr. Benjamin Kuhn on Tue, 23rd Jun 2009 3:31 pm
Carol,
Great story! One thing I have noticed in practice (not universally, but more often than not) is that migraine patients have typically more than 4 degrees of rotation between C1 and C2. I had one epileptic consult who never elected to continue with care that had 12 degrees of rotation between those bones! I was actually really hoping he would come back, as I wanted to write him up as a case study.
The reason I bring up the migraine patients is that the most typical drugs prescribed for migraine relief are anti-seizure medications … makes you wonder.
I’d be very interested to know if any other UC docs out there have been seeing significant relative rotation between C1 and C2 in patients with epilepsy and/or migraines.
I wish your daughter all the best, and would suggest you mention the C1-C2 relative rotation to your UC doc as a point to re-evaluate at some point to see if there is any correlation between reduction of that measurement and reduction of your daughter’s epilepsy symptoms.
In Health,
Dr. Benjamin Kuhn
goldtone on Wed, 2nd Sep 2009 2:22 pm
I am interested in UC therapy, and have a few questions after reading this post:
1) Where is Dr. Jim Fiore’s e-mail about the Atlas Profilax? And what is your opinion of it? Do you have a thorough post on it? I am considering getting it done, and would love to read more about it.
2) This site says in the intro that it can improve eyesight…possibly like this case? Have you seen any myopia improve from UC therapy?
3) Where can we find a local practitioner of UC?
Thank You!