INTRODUCTION
Mobility: The spine is a dynamic structure; designed for movement in a wide variety of positions, including flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation of the head. Specialized articulation between the occiput and the atlas (C1) allows for 50% of the flexion and extension of the neck. Specialized articulation between the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) allows for 50% of the rotation of the neck.
Protection and Transmission: The spinal cord and nerve roots are encased within the protective structure of the spinal column. Pairs of nerves exit in the intervertebral foramina (IVF). When the spine is in its optimal structure, the spinal cord and nerve roots are protected. Loss of this optimal spinal structure results in the interference of normal nerve transmission.
It is widely recognized that proprioceptive input from muscles, joints and other receptors is necessary for the accurate control of movement and posture. Loss of proprioception results in large systematic errors in multi-joint movements attributed, at least in part, to impaired motor programming.
JOURNAL OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGY
OPTIMAL STRUCTURE OF THE CERVICAL SPINE
NORMAL BIOMECHANICAL STRESS ON SPINAL FUNCTION
SIDE VIEW OF THE KILLIAN IDEAL SPINE MODEL
“A study in the research journal Neurosurgery, of patients who required surgery for cervical spondylotic myleopathy, revealed that those patients who had a normal cervical lordosis prior to the surgery showed significant post-operative neurological improvement over those surgical patients who did not have a pre-operative cervical curve.”
NEUROSURGERY
THE CERVICAL SPINE AND TRAUMA
WHIPLASH FACTS
- Over one million Americans each year suffer a whiplash injury
- 25% of whiplash victims suffer from chronic pain disabilities;
- 1/7th of whiplash victims report pain 3 years after initial injury.
U.S. Automobile Accident Statistics
"In speaking of the forces generated in the head and neck as a result of whiplash, the convention is to use the term G. One G is equivalent to the acceleration resulting from the earth's gravity, 32.2 feet/sec. Ewing measured the maximum peak acceleration of the head of human volunteers exposed to nominal 10-G, 250-G/sec runs and found the surprising high force of 47.8 G. Thus, in somecases, the head may accelerate up to 5 times the input acceleration."
CROFT & FOREMAN
LOSS OF OPTIMAL CERVICAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Loss of the optimal cervical spinal structure and its resulting pathologies are known in medical literature by numerous names including spondylosis, spinal stenosis, cervical compression myleopathy, spondylocondrosis, cervical disc herniation, subaxial disc space narrowing, cervical fixation, cervical radiculitis, vertebral subluxation, and many more.
“Neural dysfunction associated with acute or chronic subluxation syndromes basically manifest as abnormalities in sensory interpretation and/or motor activities. These disturbances may be through one of two primary mechanisms, either direct nerve or nerve root disorders of a reflex nature.”
CERVICAL SPINE TRAUMA
NEURO-ORTHOPEDICS
SPINAL DEGENERATION
AVIATION SPACE ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
Spinal degeneration often goes undetected because of the lack of pain and symptoms during the early phases. During the later phases, pain, loss of mobility, stiffness, and a host of neurological conditions become more common
PHASES OF SPINAL DEGENERATION
VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATIONS AND HEALTH CONDITIONS
Vertebral subluxations cause nerve interference which diminishes the inherent healing potential of the human body. Subluxations have been documented to cause a variety of health problems, including headaches, migraines, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, TMJ, sinus infections, ear infections, vertigo, allergies, asthma, thyroid conditions, sinusitis, arm pain, shoulder pain, hormonal imbalance, insomnia, fibromyalgia, and many others
“I have seen pain and illness of the human body caused by subluxations.”
Dr. Louis Casamajor
Professor of Neurology
Cervical spine surgery is often necessary in cases involving major accidents, trauma or other obvious pathologies, but in many cases, the surgery could have been prevented by using a mechanical or corrective approach. Most cervical spine surgeries involve the removal of part of or all of the disc orbone, and then fusing the vertebrae together with a bone graft, either in front of or behind the spine. The bone graft may be one of two types: an autograft (bone taken from another part of the person’s body) or an allograft (bone supplied by a bone bank donor). Often, metal plate screws or wires are also used to further stabilize the spine. Cervical spine surgeries always result in loss of function and mobility in the cervical spine.
CERVICAL SPINE SURGERY STATISTICS
From 1979 through 2009, spinal surgeries increased 137%, while the population on whom almost all of the surgeries are performed rose only 23%.
The rate of cervical spine surgery increased 53% from 1979 to 2009, and the rate of cervical fusion surgery increased more than 70%.
The rate of spinal surgery in the United States is 40% higher than any other country.
Complications of cervical spine surgery include nervous system complications (15 per 1,000) and death (6 per 1,000).
National Center for Vital Statistics
CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CARE
The science of Chiropractic is founded on the premise that a properly functioning nervous system is the foundation of health, and that the structural integrity of the spinal column must be maintained in order to facilitate optimal nervous system transmission and communication.
Virtually all spinal problems are caused by some type of mechanical or structural stress; therefore, it stands to reason that they require a mechanical correction. Drugs can do little more than suppress the symptoms that may be associated with spinal conditions and surgery, even when required, can eliminate some of the more obvious structural effects of subluxations, but neither can correct and restore the optimal structure of the spine.
“Interference to the nervous system results in damage within a short period of time and, therefore, Chiropractic care should begin at birth on a preventive basis. “
Dr. Arpad DeNagy
UPPER CERVICAL MONOGRAPH
“Subluxation alone is a rational reason for Chiropractic care throughout a lifetime from birth.”
Dr. Lee Hadley,
Syracuse Memorial Hospital
“Chiropractors have suspected involvement of the somatoautonomic reflex, and current experimental findings suggest this is a valid assumption. It appears from clinical research that abnormal spinal reflexes can set into motion a wide variety of abnormal pathological and functional processes. The somatoautonomic reflex hypothesis may be the most logical justification for the use of chiropractic adjustments for conditions other than pain.”
Robert A. Leach,
THE CHIROPRACTIC THEORIES