I have been in the health field for almost 25 years. I focus on the whole person to get them well as soon as possible utilizing gentle upper cervical chiropractic, nutrition, ortho-bionomy, and applied kinesiology. I currently practice and have recently started teaching QSM3 (Quantum Spinal Mechanics³) which is an offshoot of NUCCA (National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association).
By Dr. Michael Polsinelli, Advanced Spinal Care
Millions of people walk around with unnecessary pain, suffering from a wide assortment of problems, including: headaches, fibromyalgia, migraines, ADD, hypertension, trigeminal neuralgia, TMJ, arthritis, herniated disks, neck, back, arm and feet pain, numbness and tingling in the limbs, sciatica and more.
They have a short leg, a high hip and sometimes a subtle twist in their spine. Their problems come from a small bone in the upper neck that has shifted, tilted, or twisted out of place, only millimeters off, but can have a profound effect on health and well-being.
This first bone in the neck is a tiny two-four ounce bone called the atlas bone. Atlas in Greek mythology is the god who holds the world on his shoulders. The tiny atlas bone carries the entire weight of the head on its shoulders (our heads weigh about the same as an average bowling ball), while allowing us great flexibility of movement. The upper neck is the most movable area of the spine and also the most vulnerable to injury. An accident or injury can tear loose the connective tissues holding the bones of the neck in place and wedge the atlas bone out of position.
This misalignment can affect us in three ways.
First, it can affect the spinal cord. The brain signals down the brainstem, to the spinal cord, out through the nerves and tells all the body parts what to do. Nerves go to every muscle and organ and when the atlas shifts, twists or tilts out of position it can irritate the spinal cord, causing nerves in the spinal cord to fire. Like blocking a radio transmission, you can broadcast static on the same frequency and listeners can hear someone is speaking but can’t make out the words. When the atlas shifts out of place, we are likewise, able to function, but a clear signal can’t get through. This situation can stress our digestion, breathing, blood pressure, as well as muscles. A misaligned atlas will affect nerve signal to 15 sets of postural muscles, muscles that help us stay upright. These muscles will go weak and only function at 30%, causing us to twist and slouch. When a bunch of muscles doesn’t function as it should, the muscles that are doing their job have to work harder to compensate, which makes them spasm and causes us to tire easily.
The second way misalignment affects us is by diminishing blood flow to or from the brain. Decreased blood flow can cause headaches, as well as fogginess and grouchiness.
The third way: Surrounding our brain, brainstem and spinal cord is a sack of fluid. Our brain is floating in this sack for protection. The sack attaches to the different bones in the skull, our sacrum (tail bone), and the first bone in our neck. When the atlas twists out of alignment, it twists this sack. If I took a dish towel and grabbed both ends, then started to twist the towel and kept twisting, you would notice that the two ends would begin to be forced together. The same thing happens in our backs. Our head and tailbone get forced together, jamming the discs in the back and the joints in the neck and back. This compression causes wear and tear that leads to degeneration of the bones and wears on the discs. The pressure can cause an irritation so that when we walk long distances on hard surfaces (such as the mall or Sam’s club), we get exhausted, or need to hold onto a cart.
With time, these problems will accelerate the aging in our body and cause even worse problems in the coming years.
Before attending Logan College of Chiropractic, Dr. Polsinelli had several years of training in the healing arts, including massage, cranial sacral therapy, Orthobionomy, kinesiology, nutrition, and naturopathy. He has been trained in Orthospinology, reached level 2 certification in NUCCA, and QSM certification in QSM3. He is currently the only doctor in Ohio practicing QSM3. He can be reached at 440-461-9774 or drp@spinalalignment.com.
